Spring of Hope: A Light to the Future
by Kazumi1994
Summary: A boy with no memory of his past. An android who knows little outside of her desire to protect the boy. A destined meeting under a mighty tree. As the world inches closer to its end with each passing day, two beings without hearts shall discover their place in the world, with each other. Even as fate itself seeks to drive them apart...
1. Prologue: Begin from Darkness

■ _**Prologue: Begin from Darkness**_

"This says 'we've gone to see the Jyomon-Ceder tree.'"

I took the piece of paper from Akihiko's hands the moment he finished reading what was written on it. There was something I wanted to confirm. Something I suspected from the brief glance I managed to get.

"Looks like Fuuka's handwriting," I said, folding the note and placing it in my pocket. Fuuka really did have neat handwriting. Never really saw much of it, so I couldn't help but be taken aback for a moment.

"Aw man! We're at an island resort in the middle of summer! Why don't they go to the beach?! That's just not right!"

There were a _few_ reasons I could think of as to why they would want to avoid the beach that day. One of them being the pervert who was standing in front of me.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Junpei's actions had led us to our present circumstances. Something that Akihiko had no problem reminding him of.

"Well, it's your fault."

"Whaddya mean?! I-I was just trying to lighten the mood!"

"No, Junpei. What you did back there was just being a dirty pervert. I feel sorry for Fuuka," I cut down his defence without a moment's hesitation, a stone-like expression on my face the entire time. I was definitely not in the mood for any of his flimsy justifications.

It wasn't the time for humour in any case, I felt. Considering what had occurred the previous night, it wasn't hard to understand why. That meeting where Yukari learned the truth of what happened to her father. And my role in the whole affair. As if unaware of this, or perhaps he was just trying to keep my mind off of it, Junpei continued.

"Ahh, it doesn't matter anyway. We're on our own now, just the guys! If you're outta ammo, you pick it up on the battlefield! That's the most basic of military tactics! We'll call this 'Operation: Babe Hunt'!"

Junpei announced our plans with a bombastic voice. Or rather his vision of what we were going to do that day.

"'Babe Hunt'...? You mean, like pick up girls?" Akihiko sounded hesitant. I felt the same way. A sudden premonition told me that this would end in disaster. There was no other possible outcome.

"Whaddya think, Senpai? With you on the squad, we're guaranteed to succeed!"

Akihiko turned to me after a moment.

"What do you think about this?"

I had a chance to avert disaster, and I was going to take it. A heavy feeling in my stomach told me that it wasn't going to be easy, however. It told me that what's to come was inevitable. Even so, I had to try.

"Sounds like a hassle," I told them, putting my hands in my swim-trunk pockets. "Besides, I'm not interested."

"You're right about that. It does sound like a hassle," Akihiko agreed easily.

"Then what are we to do with our time?!" Junpei countered. "C'mon, it'll be fun."

I looked towards Akihiko for a moment. We both had similar expressions of doubt on our faces, but I eventually shrugged my shoulders.

At the very least, it might have helped kill some time.

"Then I'm appointing him our leader as usual." Akihiko pointed to me as he announced this.

"What?! Why?!"

"There's no need to shout, Junpei," I told him calmly, not surprised by the volume of his voice. I was used to it by that point.

"You said yourself this is an operation," Akihiko said, which did not make Junpei happy.

"Aw, man, that's bullshit!"

Akihiko walked away. Junpei turned to look at me, shooting me the most serious look I had seen from him up to that point.

"You better take this seriously, it's an important operation!"

He stormed off after Akihiko.

(...I had no idea that picking up girls is such a big deal. Who knew?)

I looked into the forest for a second, as though expecting something to happen. After a few seconds, I went after the two of them. Mostly to keep them out of trouble more than anything.

※※※※※

Like I had suspected, this whole "operation" had turned into a disaster. The first girls we came across were no so receptive to Akihiko and Junpei's attempts to hit on them. I took to staring out at the ocean, refusing to take part in this farce. The second group of girls turned out to be much older than us. I quickly figured that out and they seemed to appreciate my telling them that they looked much younger than they really were.

It was the truth, so I had no trouble telling them that. I also figured out that they already had boyfriends and that Akihiko and Junpei's hopes were doomed to be crushed. I enjoyed watching them flounder around as the truth was revealed. And the third woman we came across... well, I would rather not talk about what happened with that woman.

An hour had gone by since we began this utter joke of an "operation". We regrouped in the middle of the beach, the boys licking their wounds from the previous battles.

"Man, this sucks... We're zero to three..." Junpei mused on our lack of success. Akihiko let out a heavy sigh nearby, looking almost as depressed as Junpei was about the whole thing. "What's wrong? I thought you weren't interested in picking up chicks?"

(I hear a bit of bitterness in your voice, Junpei. Are you feeling okay?)

"If I'm in a match, I want to win," Akihiko told him. "I know what the problem is. You can't control yourself."

"What?! Don't blame this on me!"

"I'm just stating the obvious."

"B-But, you haven't scored either!"

"What did you just say...?"

I was already starting to get tired of this pissing contest they were having, and briefly considered stepping in before it got out of hand. Before I could do anything, Akihiko turned to me.

"Enough of this! Kazuto, whose fault do you think it is?"

I was afraid of this. I had a feeling they would defer to me when they would inevitably butt heads over whose fault it was this "operation" fell flat.

"How should I know?" I responded neutrally. "I wasn't even paying attention to what you two were doing. How about I say it was both..."

I trailed off as I caught sight of someone from the corner of my eye. Someone who was standing out on the pier.

"What's wrong? You see something?" Akihiko asked. He and Junpei looked towards where I was looking. Soft gasps escaped their lips.

Out there on the pier, looking out towards the sea, stood a girl who wore a blue sundress and had short blonde hair. She wore something on her head that I immediately associated with headphones—something red and yellow with gears in them. The slight breeze blew both her sundress and her hair slightly as she stared out at that blue horizon, as though she was searching for something that could only be found beyond her sight.

She was, without a doubt, the most beautiful girl we had seen that day. And one of the most beautiful girls I had seen in my short life. I was... completely entranced by her. Something about her resonated with me, and I couldn't take my eyes away.

We hid ourselves behind a rock near the pier.

"Whoa... Talk about saving the best for last...! Now that's what I'm talkin' about! Man, she's cute..." Junpei whispered excitedly.

"I agree..."

While Akihiko was able to voice his agreement, I couldn't even form words. I was only able to barely register what the two of them said. I was more focused on keeping that girl in my line-of-sight. Perhaps I was afraid that if I took my eyes off her, even for a moment, she'll just up and vanish.

"And. He's. Speechless!" Junpei yelled. "We've hit the jackpot!" Hearing the sound of Junpei's fist shooting up into the air for a moment, I was suddenly, forcibly dragged into the circle he formed with Akihiko—pulling me away from the girl on the pier. "This is our last chance to make up for our failures. We should go one-by-one instead of together, so we have a better chance."

"Sounds like a good plan," Akihiko said. I nodded, showing that I was in agreement as well.

"Alright, we'll do rock-paper-scissors to decide the order. We go clockwise, starting from the winner. Ready...? Rock, paper, scissors."

I lost. Junpei chose rock, while Akihiko and I chose scissors.

"Yeah, I win! Okay, I'll go first, Akihiko-senpai will go second, and you'll go last. I'm up! Wish me luck!"

Clapping his shoulder in a show of support, I wished him luck as he began to make his way down the pier. I briefly wondered if it was bad that I _wanted_ him to fail. Realising that we were all basically competing for the same girl, the guilt lessened slightly. Similar thoughts were no doubt going through Akihiko's mind.

Junpei walked towards the girl. Even though the two of them were quite some distance away from us, I was able to hear what they were saying.

"H-Hey, h-how's it going? I noticed you've been, uh, staring at the ocean. So, um... do you come here often? My name's Ju-Ju-Junpei."

(Smooth, Junpei. So smooth.)

Nerves got the best of him. But maybe he could still recover from this blunder. That was what I was thinking, in any case.

"...Ju-Ju-Junpei?" the girl asked with a soothing, almost robotic tone, only turning her head to look at him.

"Don't worry, I-I just want to talk. I mean, it's more fun than standing around by yourself, isn't it?"

"...I am looking for a human."

Junpei looked around. It was a rather odd thing to say, indeed.

"O-Oh yeah...?"

"You are not the one."

(...That's one way to get someone off your back, I guess.)

Even if I wasn't able to hear what they were saying, the way Junpei reacted would have told the whole story to Akihiko and myself.

"Wow, he got shot down faster than I expected..." Surprise filled Akihiko's voice, and I silently thought to myself that it didn't take long at all. Junpei walked back over to us, deflated and defeated.

"Sh-She's a tough one, Senpai..."

Akihiko smirked as he stood up, not letting Junpei's report of failure deter him.

"Heh... Don't worry about me."

He walked down the pier with confidence. The girl had taken to staring back out at the sea in the time it took for Junpei to return to us. Akihiko spoke up when he got near, speaking with confidence as well.

"Well, hello there. Say, do you like the ocean?"

"Is your question directed at me?" the girl asked, which threw Akihiko off his stride a little. To his credit, he did recover quickly.

"Oh, um, yeah, I like the ocean too. Hey, I hear that triathletes who train at the beach perform better than those who practice indoors. Makes sense, doesn't it?"

"Wow, he's actually having a conversation with her!" Junpei whispered to me. He lowered his eyebrows as he looked over the scene. "Although, something's not right..."

I got that sense as well, thinking that something wasn't quite right with this image. Turning to look back at Akihiko and the girl, we quickly discovered why.

"That type of information is irrelevant to me."

I couldn't help but feel some degree of sympathy for Akihiko. He lasted longer than Junpei, at least, so he could take some measure of satisfaction in that.

Akihiko walked back to us, his pride wounded but a smile still on his face.

"Heh, I won. I talked to her longer than you did."

Always trying to make things into a competition, that he did. That was something that always bugged me about him. A competitive streak like that was bound to get him in trouble someday.

"It doesn't matter how long you talked to her!" Junpei yelled. "This sucks..."

(Oh, don't tell me he's going to cry? I don't think I could take it if he does.)

"Hey, stop crying! You're making me feel bad..." Akihiko stepped back a little at the unexpected scene.

Junpei rubbed his eyes and turned to look at me.

"So, that's our status. If you can't pull this off, I'll be traumatised for the rest of my life."

"We're on the ropes," Akihiko added, "but it's not over yet... It's all up to you."

While I appreciated the encouragement, that did nothing to take away the weight in my stomach, nor calm my nerves. I breathed in and out a few times softly before walking out onto the pier. I froze as I realised that I had no idea what I should asy. Was there even an appropriate way to begin a conversation in this scenario? I didn't think anything I could do would feel right to me.

(...Well, there _is_ something I'm curious about.)

I looked back at Akihiko and Junpei. Seeing them give thumbs up as encouragement, I turned back to the girl. She hadn't noticed my presence yet.

Taking one last moment to prepare myself, I spoke clearly.

"Looking for something?"

An immediate reaction. She turned to look at me, flickers of emotion in her dark blue eyes. Surprise, and familiarity. I could hear Junpei in the background.

"I couldn't hear what he said, but she looks surprised. We should go over there."

"You are..." the girl said before spotting Junpei and Akihiko running down the pier. "Initiating evasive manoeuvre. Confirmation must be made at a secure location..." She ran past me, down the pier past the others, and retreated into the forest.

"Hey, what did you say to make her run away like that?" Junpei asked carefully. I shook my head.

"Nothing. I just asked her if she was looking for something."

"Well, what're you waiting for? Go after her!"

"Yeah... I probably should. Maybe I can find out something..." I said, more to myself than the others.

"Go on, man. You can catch her if you hurry."

I gave a small nod to the two of them before running into the forest after her. The path was winding, but it was much more straightforward than I thought. There was always a clear path forward and it never deviated, allowing me to eventually catch sight of her.

A few minutes passed in this chase and I had lost track of her... That feeling again. The same feeling of someone watching me that I felt the previous night, after my talk with Yukari. I guessed it must have been that girl who was watching me the entire time.

I ended up at the large tree in the centre of the forest. The Jyomon-Ceder tree that Fuuka wrote about. I glanced around and eventually saw her peeking her head out from behind the sign in front of the tree. A silent warning in my mind, telling me to be careful and approach slowly. I didn't want to scare her off, after all.

I took slow, careful steps towards her as she came out of hiding.

The air was still. Even time was frozen as we stared at one another. How long did we stand there? A few seconds? Perhaps a minute? Either way, I wasn't the one who spoke up first. I didn't have the will to speak up in any case.

"You are... Who... are you?"

That question, asked with uncertain eyes, marked the beginning of our end.

Such a simple beginning to a complex story. Who could have known what would come from a simple meeting under a mighty tree? Perhaps it was fate that we would meet, and perhaps it was fate that led us to this point. At the edge of oblivion with little hope for victory...

His reasoning, his rage against humanity, his anger at their mistakes. I believe he _was_ correct. He was justified in his actions, somewhat. From a purely objective standpoint, it could be said that he was correct to enact this grand plan.

However, there's a difference between being "correct" and being "right". And if being correct was all he cared about, then I was right to stand against him. And yet, even in our disagreements, I had to admit one thing.

⸻He was right when he told me that when we met at the end, I would stand alone.

* * *

【Author's Note】

I'm not sure how to begin this, so I'll just say whatever comes to mind. If you're someone who's coming into this without any knowledge of my previous works, then you don't need to read beyond this paragraph. All I have to say is welcome to something that I hope will be a unique spin on the Persona 3 story. I hope you enjoyed what you've read and I hope you stick around. I'll see you folks in the next chapter.

Now, for those who know what this is, you'll have realised that this is a remake of the very first story I've written on this site. With a more laser-focused narrative, and far less bloat. I'll always be proud of what I've accomplished with that story, but I always thought that I could do better with the main premise. And some parts of the original were much better suited being their own thing. So I decided to go ahead and do this, though it took quite a long time for me to get around to it. Mostly due to other commitments I had.

There will be some things that are familiar. Some things that aren't. You might be able to guess what's going to happen. And there'll be some things that surprise you. This should be evident from the fact that it's a rewrite, but no knowledge from the original version is required to understand the plot of this story. Nor should you trust your knowledge of the original.

With all that said, I hope that those who find this story enjoy. Consider leaving me your thoughts in a review or even send me a PM. I'll do my best to answer any questions you may have, barring any spoiler questions. For obvious reasons.

...Well, I guess I can say this. Yes. There _is_ a reason why I started from this point. As opposed to any other point.

◆ _Next Time – Chapter 1: Echoes of Emotion_ ◆


	2. Echoes of Emotion

■ _**Chapter 1: Echoes of Emotion**_

Let's rewind the clock a little. Because while our story didn't begin until we met, what would come to define our journey happened well before then. Yes, let's go back. Back to April 6 of that year. The day I stepped off that train, taking my first steps into Iwatodai.

A quiet, chilly night had settled in as the train I'm riding in continued along its path. An empty train. I was the only one riding in it, which was understandable given how late it was. Not to mention that the trains were running rather late. I was supposed to have arrived hours ago, but a huge accident caused the schedules to change drastically.

What was supposed to be a train ride from 6 PM expecting to arrive at 8 PM, got delayed to 10 PM and I was only just reaching my destination close to midnight. I never learned what the accident that caused this was, but it was a massive inconvenience nonetheless.

(Of all the times to arrive...)

I _really_ hoped that midnight wouldn't come while I was still on the train. Because what was coming would effectively leave me trapped in there until everything returned to normal. Around an hour, give or take.

I sighed and sat back down in my seat. I diverted my attention away from that possibility and instead thought about my destination. Looking out the window in front of me, I saw many buildings still lit up. The various heights of the buildings made the whole place look like a jungle to me, and I expected it to be just as difficult to navigate through. Thankfully, I had a map on hand to help me find my destination.

"It would certainly help if I can get to the station before everything goes weird..."

I chuckled. Complaining wasn't going to get me anywhere, and I knew that perfectly well. I just had to take things as they came. It's how I lived up to this point and it's always worked for me.

Something did bother me about this whole thing. I recalled hearing someone say that I used to live in Iwatodai, but I didn't remember anything about that. Then again, I couldn't remember much to begin with. A lot of my past was just a massive blank, and I expected more recent events to become a blurry mess in my mind eventually.

I didn't know for certain if what I was told was the truth, but I just had to take their word for it. Perhaps coming here was a blessing in disguise? Maybe I would remember something if I took the time to explore the city. That was what I hoped.

"Due to a malfunction in the switching system, today's rail schedule has been greatly altered," the intercom blared out. Oh yeah, that happened as well. On top of a rather serious accident. My luck was just the greatest. "We apologise to any customers who are in a hurry. The next stop is Iwatodai."

I checked my phone quickly. 11:55 PM. That was good. I was going to make it with time to spare. I let out a relieved sigh and stood up. I grabbed what little I brought with me. A small bag that I slung around my shoulder.

I walked towards the door and waited. The buildings passed by me quickly, the lights flashing in and out of my sight. This long preamble would soon come to an end and I would take the first steps of my new journey.

And then, my vision suddenly dimmed.

The lights faded. And in the distance, I thought I saw something blue. Something fluttering in the air with difficulty. Like it was trying to stay in the air for just a little longer before it inevitably fell.

A voice rang in my mind. Masculine, deep. And yet, it sounded like he was in pain.

" _This world is in its death throes. There is little time, and far too little light to combat the darkness that is encroaching our reality."_

The butterfly managed to get close to me and rested on my shoulder. I looked towards it with a curious expression.

" _To you, who is about to face this ordeal, I'm sorry. There is little aid I can offer, and your journey will be more difficult as a consequence. Far too difficult for the likes of you. But this is our last chance... You have less than a year. Go forth, young firefly, and let your soul decide what is right..."_

Light returned to the world, the butterfly vanishing from my shoulder. My eyes shifted to look back out at the world, and a shaky sigh escaped my lips.

"...Less than a year... I wonder if..."

The question died in my throat. It was strange. I could somehow understand exactly what the butterfly was trying to convey to me. The reality of things was that the strange realm that appeared every night was somehow connected to what it was talking about, and that I needed to be _extremely_ careful getting off this train.

Once I did so, there was no going back.

"...Not like there's anywhere for me to go."

I came this far already, and I had no intention of backing out of this now. I guess you could say I passed the point of no return a long time ago.

The train slowly came to a halt at the station, and the doors slid open silently. Letting out the breath I was holding in, I stepped out onto the platform. Looking around, I saw that I was the only one there.

Not unexpected, given the time. I brought out my phone once more now that I was thinking about it. 11:59 PM. It would begin soon. Not long now. I watched as the clock slowly ticked towards midnight.

The moment midnight struck, the world twisted and turned into something that most couldn't, or wouldn't, imagine. A world where the buildings, the night sky, even the moon hanging over us, would become a sickly green colour, and any form of water would become a crimson, blood-like colour... It was either that, or it actually was blood. I didn't have the nerve to check for myself.

I looked down at my phone. What I saw didn't come as a surprise. I had figured out quite some time ago that anything electronic just simply did not work under the cover of this mysterious realm.

Placing the phone in my pocket, I pulled out the map that I was given. The building I was looking for wasn't too far from the station. Probably around an hour's walk. This strange phenomenon should clear by the time I get there. I hoped, at least.

I began to make my way to my destination. As I walked, I noticed another peculiarity of this realm. Coffins that lined the streets like a twisted, demented graveyard. I made my way past them, doing my best not to acknowledge what they could be.

A collection of shops was across the street from me as I left the station, as well as a staircase that led up to a shrine a little further on. I considered visiting it, but noted that I didn't have time to be sightseeing. There would be plenty of time for that later.

I stopped suddenly. A tingling feeling that made the hairs on the back of my hand stand up. My senses told me that something was approaching. Something dangerous. I froze for a moment.

...And then the tension in my body disappeared. I knew what was there, and it wasn't something that I needed to be concerned about.

"I'm sorry," I said politely to the creatures behind me, not needing to look, "but I don't have anything to give you tonight."

A strange, high-pitched gurgling. To other folk, it must have sounded like gibberish, or the noises of an animal. And yet, somehow, I was able to understand what those creatures were saying. I was always capable of that, ever since I first discovered this realm.

I recalled being cautious of these creatures at first but I eventually came to realise that they meant no harm. I remembered thinking that something felt strange about my assessment. But it was the only conclusion I could draw from what I experienced.

The creatures were disappointed, as I expected. I felt sorry for them, wishing I had the foresight to bring something in case I ended up in this realm again.

"Wait." I suddenly had a thought. I might have had something to give after all. "Hold on a sec." I brought my bag around and opened it. A small light brown paper bag was in it. The moment I caught sight of the paper bag, it moved slightly, revealing its contents to me. I had bought a bunch of apples in case I got hungry during the ride, but I never did.

I took out a red apple and smiled. Turning around to face the creatures, I shook the apple in my hand. Three small black blobs wearing yellow masks bounced up and down in excitement. I couldn't help but chuckle at the situation.

For some reason or another, these creatures always seemed to recognise me. No matter where I went. They never attacked or did anything weird, so after a while, it became... normal. I probably should have been more worried that this situation was becoming normal for me, but I couldn't do anything about that.

Taking out three apples, I threw one to each of them, devouring them within their gooey bodies happily. I didn't know exactly what they ate but they seemed to enjoy what I gave them regardless. I looked around while they partook of their midnight snack... Something felt off.

Even in this realm, there were a few things that were certainties. The way the world looked, the creatures inhabiting it, and an ever-present feeling of uneasiness. It was only natural, considering just how alien this realm was. However, what I felt when I stopped to think wasn't uneasiness. It felt as though I was standing on an uneven cliff that was about to fall apart. This city just seemed far less stable than any other place I'd been to that experienced this realm.

(How didn't I notice this...?)

Probably because I didn't stop to think about it. Or perhaps I was just trying _not_ to think about it. Either way, I was aware of it now. High pitched noises drew my attention back to the creatures. Their masks moved around as though they were looking around in a panic. The one closest to me screeched at me, sounding completely terrified.

"Run?" I repeated what I heard. "What do you mean 'run'?"

Another screech.

"...A monster?"

The moment those words reached my own ears, something in the air changed. I immediately looked to the south. A mostly clear horizon. Nothing obstructed my view of the sky. I looked around carefully, in case there was something that was flying about. Nothing.

Something gnawed at me. A feeling that there was something missing. Something that should have been there but wasn't.

A loud screech pierced the air. I looked towards the sound quickly and saw the creatures feeling for their lives.

And once again, I was left alone. Deciding that it was best not to stick around for too long, I quickly made my escape.

Five minutes later, I arrived at my destination. A moderately sized building, around four floors, that served as a dorm for students of the school I was going to attend. The cover of that realm still lingered, but at least I would be safe now. I had imagined it would be locked but, to my surprise, it was open. I could push the door open with no problems.

"That's just asking to get robbed," I noted amusedly. "Might have to bring that up later." I let myself in, closing the door behind me. "Excuse me."

The room was somewhat cold, but nothing I couldn't deal with. I couldn't see very far into the living room because of the lack of lighting. The only thing letting me see was the light of the moon shining through the window. Perhaps someone was awake? I didn't think so, but I was supposed to meet someone when I arrived. It was likely that everyone would be asleep, so I decided that I should probably just sleep on the couch until someone found me. I'd probably slept in worse.

I took a step forward, and then a voice rang out.

"You're here. Is it that time again, I wonder?"

I turned to the voice. Behind the large wooden desk sat a boy who was wearing striped pajamas. Pale as a corpse, piercing blue eyes, short black hair and a mole under his left eye. He had a gentle smile on his face as he addressed me.

"It certainly took you a long time to get here."

I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

"Yeah. Accident in the last town I was in and then a problem with the switching system while I was on the train. Just wasn't my day."

"It can't be helped. You're here now. That's all that matters." He jumped down from his seat and walked around the counter so he was standing in front of me. "Normally, I would have you sign your name there." He pointed to the desk. I looked at the red folder on it for a second before opening it up.

A single sheet of paper. Right above a black line was written "I chooseth this fate of mine own free will."

"What's this?" I asked.

"It's a contract. It would bind you into accepting full responsibility for your actions. And that no matter what happened as a result, you would accept it... But I don't believe it's necessary. After all, the outcome of all this has been determined from the start. Even if you don't accept it, you'll be guided to your proper place regardless."

I was silent. I didn't want to respond to the boy's words.

"I'm curious, I admit. Why, of all creatures, did he choose _you_?" The boy let out an eerie chuckle. "I'm looking forward to seeing how your journey unfolds. Perhaps I might even be there to see its end." He stepped into the darkness as it slowly engulfed him. His form vanished into the shadows. "Farewell for now..."

The darkness receded, allowing the light from outside to fill the room once more. I sighed.

(That's the second time I've heard something cryptic tonight... Maybe it'll make more sense in the morning.)

It probably wouldn't. I was just looking for an excuse to go to sleep, because I was exhausted from the journey.

I let out a yawn.

(Hopefully they don't mind if I sleep on the couch.)

Before I could make good on that thought, someone decided to make their presence known.

"Who's there?!"

I instinctively looked towards the back of the room. On the edge of the darkness stood someone who I would come to know very well. A brunette with brown eyes, wearing a pink cardigan along with a red ribbon around her neck and a black mini skirt.

She stared at me, while I stared at her. Neither of us knew what the other was thinking. The only thing I knew was that someone else was in this realm with me and that she was looking at me with what could only be described as suspicion. Sweat built up on her face as she contemplated her next move.

And that's when I noticed it. Wrapped around her left thigh was a holster, and in that holster was what appeared to be a silver gun. It was too dark to make out details, but the shape was unmistakable.

I made the mistake of taking a step back out of caution. If the situation at that moment could be compared to anything, it would be a loaded gun. In that moment, I held the gun in my hands and I accidentally pulled the trigger.

This metaphorical gun going off made the brunette yank the real gun out of the holster. But before things could escalate⸻

"Takeba, wait!"

Pure silence throughout the room. The yell of another person caused the tension in the air to evaporate. A few seconds passed, and the lights flickered back on. That strange realm had finally relinquished its hold. Now that the lights had come back on, I could see who yelled.

A girl who looked slightly older than the brunette. Red hair and reddish-brown eyes, wearing a white blouse along with a black skirt that went to just above her knees. The two of them looked at each other for a moment before walking over to me, seeing that it was safe.

"I didn't think you would arrive so late," the red-haired girl said, looking me over with an inquisitive stare.

"Sorry," I apologised for the second time that night. "It couldn't be helped."

"It's quite alright," she said with a smile. "My name is Mitsuru Kirijo. I'm one of the students who live in this dorm."

I wondered if I was familiar with that name. After a brief bout of thought, I couldn't think of anything. Something told me that the name was important but I couldn't place a finger on why.

"Who's this?" the brunette asked Mitsuru.

"He's a transfer student. It was a last minute decision to assign him here. He'll eventually be moved to a room in the boys' dorm."

"...Is it okay for him to be here?" the brunette asked apprehensively. Mitsuru only smiled in response.

"I guess we'll see." She turned to look at me, motioning to the brunette. "This is Yukari Takeba. She'll be a junior this spring, just like you."

"...Hey."

There were _several_ questions I had at that moment. One of them being the gun in her holster. But I doubted that I would get an answer, and I didn't want my first words to her to be so confrontational.

So I settled with a polite, "Nice to meet you."

"Uh, y-yeah..." Yukari let out a smile. "Nice to meet you, too..."

"It's getting late," Mitsuru pointed out, "so you should get some rest. Your room is on the second floor, at the end of the hallway. I was surprised at the lack of things you have. There was very little that was delivered."

"I've always travelled light. Makes moving around much easier."

"Yes, I'm well aware of your circumstances." Mitsuru placed a hand on her chin. "Speaking of, I don't believe you've introduced yourself yet."

"Name...? Oh, right. Name. Sorry, I'm tired." I shook my head to get rid of some of the drowsiness. "If you could, call me... Kazuto."

Mitsuru nodded without question, though Yukari was understandably confused.

"No last name?" she asked. I shrugged my shoulders.

"Do I need one?" I asked in return.

"Well, it's sort of normal. So I thought..." She fell silent, perhaps realising that there was no proper way to answer my question. Mitsuru turned her head slightly to look at her.

"His circumstances are... unique. If you want to know more, you can ask him later." Mitsuru smiled. "I think he's just about ready to fall asleep standing up."

I almost laughed from how accurate her words were. Falling asleep while staying upright _would_ be pretty impressive. I wasn't sure if I was capable of something like that, but I didn't want to test it.

Yukari looked at Mitsuru, and then to me. Noticing that I was exhausted, she stepped back.

"I-I'll show you the way. Follow me."

She began to make her way to the stairs, and I followed after her a moment later.

"Kazuto." The sound of Mitsuru's voice calling out to me made me turn to look back at her. She was watching my back as I walked and seemed to want to say something. Her expression was that of curiosity. I couldn't discern much beyond that, but something in the back of my mind made me think that there was more to it. "You... Never mind, it's nothing. You've got a busy week coming, so try to get some rest."

I nodded before following Yukari up the stairs. She was correct when she said that. Getting acclimated to my new school, meeting new people, walking around the city and learning about it. Quite the busy week, indeed. It would be best if I went to bed as soon as I got to my room. I had to get there first, though.

We stepped onto the second floor, and Yukari led me down the hall to the last door on my right. She turned to face me when she came to a stop.

"This is it," she announced, with a cheerfulness that sounded somewhat forced. "Pretty easy to remember, huh? Since it's right at the end of the hall. Oh yeah, make sure you don't lose your key or you'll never hear the end of it."

She held out a small silver key, which I took off her hand.

"Duly noted." I nodded in response. I tried to put a bit more perkiness in my voice but I couldn't muster the energy to do so.

"So, any questions before I go?"

I considered for a moment asked about the kid that was there when I got through the front door, but after considering that she or Mitsuru would have mentioned him by now, I decided to not bother her with it.

"Not really. The only question I really have is when I'll be getting woken up." I chuckled lightly. I knew that I would be getting nowhere near the amount of sleep I was used to by now, but I was alright with that.

"I'll make sure you get up on time. Don't worry about that." Yukari smiled a little. That's good, I thought. After that encounter at the entrance, I thought she would be a little more cautious. But it seemed as though she had relaxed a little. "Um... Can I ask you something? On your way from the station, was everything okay?"

I stared at her for a few moments. Why would she ask a question like that, when she and Mitsuru were acting as though things were normal downstairs? I knew exactly what she was talking about and decided to just say it outright, not wanting to play this game of "You know, I know".

"You're talking about that strange realm we were in a few minutes ago, aren't you?" I asked, softening my voice to an almost whisper. Just loud enough for her to hear me and for her to understand that I was aware that not many knew about it. I didn't know who else was in the building, so discretion was key.

Yukari looked surprised that I even mentioned it. She nodded.

"Y-Yes... I'm sure you have a lot of questions, but let's save them for later, okay?"

"Alright." I could accept that. Because despite what was brewing under the surface, the world continued on. "Well, I'm heading off to bed. See you in the morning?"

"Yeah. Good night."

I watched her walk down the hallway and down the stairs out of my sight. Turning to face my temporary home, I took hold of the handle and gave it a twist.

The room was in total darkness and it took me a few seconds for me to find the light switch. Suddenly, the room was illuminated. A mostly empty room, with only the bare essentials; a bed, a desk and chair, a TV, and a sink with a mirror above it. It's slightly bigger than the room I was in before, but that didn't mean much.

A few small boxes were placed against the wall to my right. What little clothing I actually possessed. Never had much I could call my own.

I walked over to the bed and placed my bag down beside it. I looked around the room and let out a heavy sigh. It felt as though I could properly relax for the first time since I departed for Iwatodai. So much trouble just to get there. Well, I couldn't complain too much. I was there now, and at that moment that was all that mattered.

I turned off the light and practically collapsed onto the bed. Immediately, all the exhaustion I felt as I made my long journey to the city caught up with me. I could immediately feel the pull to just close my eyes and go to sleep. And with everything that had happened, I was more than happy to.

Yet, as I was about to close my eyes, something echoed in my mind. The voice of that butterfly.

(...Less than a year...)

Those words stirred something inside of me. Something unfamiliar, yet familiar. An emotion that I couldn't ignore or deny. It told me to not let what that butterfly foretold come to pass. The question was how could I do it. And, though less important, why I felt that way.

Both questions I could think about later. At the moment, I was just too tired to think. I fell asleep quickly, unable to stay awake any longer. Once more, that butterfly's warning rang in my mind.

* * *

【Author's Note】

Beginnings are a rather curious thing. The first step your characters take depend on what kind of story you're telling. Persona 5 had a bombastic opener that, though fun and stylish, didn't truly payoff until you're about 75-80% through the story. Persona 4 had a slow start, building up characters and relationships while also setting up the mystery—and it also takes the longest to get going. And Persona 3 had a short beginning before getting into the action, explaining enough to let the player know what they're doing and why they're fighting.

And when you're familiar with the beginning of a story, any changes made in an adaptation of it are quite noticeable. As I'm sure you have seen.

What this may hold for the future is for you to discover.

◆ _Next Time – Chapter 2: Broken Night_ ◆


	3. Broken Night

■ _**Chapter 2: Broken Night**_

It wasn't the light of the sun hitting my face that woke me up that morning. No, it was the sound of someone knocking on my door lightly. Three knocks on the wooden door was enough to get me to open my eyes.

"It's Yukari. Are you awake?" Her voice was slightly muffled by the wooden door, but I could hear it clearly.

That was my cue to get up. I was still in the clothes I was wearing the previous night. A simple black t-shirt under a purple jacket, as well as blue jeans. I had the sense to take my shoes off before going to sleep but they were simple black and white trainers.

I shook my head a little and sat up.

"Yeah, just a sec," I called out to her before letting out a yawn. Still somewhat tired but that was something I just had to deal with. I stood up and made my way to the door. I opened it, letting her walk into the room, carrying a pile of clothes in her hands. She seemed far more energetic than I was.

"Good morning. Did you sleep okay?" she asked carefully, her smile equally as cheerful.

"All things considered? Yeah, I did." I nodded. It _was_ a rather peaceful sleep.

"Mitsuru-senpai asked me to take you to school," she explained before handing me the clothes she carried. A school uniform, I surmised. "I'll leave you to get dressed. Come downstairs when you're ready."

"Will do."

Yukari left the room quickly, leaving me in peace to get changed. It didn't take long. A minute or two was all it took. I walked over to the mirror to take a look and expressed some level of surprise at my own reflection.

"So that's what I look like..."

It felt weird seeing myself in a uniform, despite the fact that, by all accounts, I was a pretty average looking guy. Black hair that reached to just above my eyes, and blue eyes. I suppose that after wearing plain clothing for the majority of my life, I couldn't imagine myself wearing something like that.

I tore myself away from the mirror and made my way downstairs. Yukari was sitting on the couch near the front door, waiting for me. She noticed me approaching.

"You ready to go?" she asked, standing up. I nodded.

"More or less. I'm not sure if I can truly be prepared for this," I told her honestly.

"You'll be fine. Come on, we should get going."

We walked out onto the early morning streets and I followed her lead. She led me down a familiar path which led us to the train station I arrived at the previous night. We boarded the first train that arrived, a train that would take us to a man-made island. At least, according to Yukari. I didn't know much about any of that.

As the train made its way forward, full of students and working adults, Yukari suddenly spoke up.

"I was kind of hoping I would get to ask you about what you said last night," she said. "About not needing a last name... It was just so strange to me. Mitsuru-senpai said that your circumstances were unique but I couldn't figure out what she meant by that. So..."

"Well..." I wrapped a bit of my hair around my finger. "I'm not sure if my circumstances can truly be called 'unique'. I'm not even sure if I can explain it all adequately, because I don't really remember anything."

"What does that mean?" she asked.

"I lost any memory of who I was a long time ago. Everything about my early life is just a black void now. I don't even know my own name."

"You don't know...? What about the name you gave us?"

"Chose it at random. You needed a name to call me, so I just picked the first name that came to mind."

I happened to look at Yukari as I finished saying that. She was looking down at her lap with a contemplative look on her face. A look that was also tinged with sadness. A look like that... It troubled me. It really shouldn't have, but it did. And I couldn't help but comment on it.

"What's wrong? It's really not something to get sad over," I said. She lifted her head to look at me.

"It's just... I can't imagine living without any memory of who I am. I suppose it's one of those things we take for granted. Knowing your own name, the names of your parents, being able to talk about who you are... When I imagine you not having any of that, I can't help but think it's really sad."

(...I suppose that's something I didn't consider.)

The view of someone looking from the outside-in, someone who didn't have to go through what I had. I suppose they _would_ find it sad that for that reason alone. Just like she had taken the concept of a normal life for granted, I had done the same with my own life. I found everything about myself normal, so I didn't think about the fact that, to someone who wasn't me, my life up to this point would be one to pity.

I looked out the window. A beautiful, sparkling sea stretched out to the horizon. I faintly recalled seeing something like this, on a beach that rested somewhere out in the countryside. The light of the sun bouncing off the water in a dance that lasted for such a brief period of time. Then the light of the stars and the moon took its place.

I wondered if this sight was also something humans took for granted. I looked back at Yukari.

"I'd accepted everything about this a long time ago. There's nothing I can do about it, there's nothing I can change. So there's no reason for me to complain. And if I don't have any reason to complain, that means the same goes for you, doesn't it?"

"That's... true, I guess. Though I can certainly think of a few reasons to complain."

I chuckled at that. I somehow knew it wouldn't be that easy to convince her to drop it. I said what I needed to, in any case.

"This..." I leaned back against the metal seat. "...is far too heavy for our first conversation, don't you think?" I smiled at her to clear the moody atmosphere that had built up. "Let's talk about the school. What's it like? And what's your position in its hierarchy?"

She laughed, though I was serious about the last question. It wasn't too difficult to imagine that she was at least somewhat popular among the other students. And we would be seen walking together into the school. I didn't know much about the world, but I knew enough to know that something like that was enough to be a source of rumours.

"I wouldn't know about that," she replied with amusement. "As for the school⸻" She turned to look out the window. "Ah, there it is. See?"

I looked out the window for the second time that day, looking to where she was pointing. The building that was so large that I could easily see it, even at this distance. A white building with three floors and a roof surrounded by a tall fence. A large circular building stood a short distance in front of it, almost as tall as the white building, and two other buildings stood behind it—connected to the main building.

That was all I could see before the train moved to the point where I couldn't see it anymore. The sight was clear in my mind, and I thought about it for the reminder of the trip. Yukari and I never finished our conversation before the train arrived at the station, and our walk to the school itself was equally as quiet.

Eventually, we came close to the gate. The sound a bike bell rang as it passed by us, the girl riding it greeting Yukari with a friendly hello. Yukari stopped when she reached the gate.

"Well, this is it," she told me. I stopped as well and looked at the building once more. It seemed much larger when it's so close to you. The distance didn't convey to me fully just how huge this building was. To me, at least. I guessed that the building was quite normal for city standards, perhaps even a little bit small.

To me, however, this building might as well have been a temple.

Yukari was amused by my stunned reaction, perhaps even expected it. Her smile was radiant as she spoke.

"We're here, welcome to Gekkoukan High School. Hope you like it."

High above us, in that early morning sky, I could see the moon. Its presence diminished, but not entirely gone.

※※※※※

We entered the building some time before homeroom started, by necessity, as Yukari told me on the way there. We stopped a few steps in, near the shoe lockers.

"You're okay from here, right? You should go see your homeroom teacher first. The Faculty Office is down that corridor to the left... And _that_ concludes the tour. Any questions before I go?"

"Rather quick tour," I said to myself before addressing her. "Which class are you in?"

I didn't really have any reason to ask that. I was just curious.

"Me? I dunno, I haven't looked at the classroom assignments yet." She looked around for a moment before lowering her voice. "Hey, about last night... Don't tell anyone what you saw, okay?"

"I know that not many people know about that realm," I replied with a similar volume. "Trust me. I'll keep it quiet."

"Thanks. See ya later." She raised her voice to a normal volume as she bid me farewell. She left for the corridor to her right, leaving me to my own devices. I noticed that a lot of students were gathered in front of a bulletin board. And, curiosity peaked, I decided to go take a look.

Overhearing some grumblings about having the worst teacher, and one student panicking about not seeing their name on the list. I did hear a conversation that interested me.

"Huh? Hey, look at the list for Miss Toriumi's class. There's a blank space," one of the female students said to another female student that stood beside her.

"I hear that her class is getting a transfer student. I heard some of the teachers talking about him. Apparently, it was a recommendation from Mitsuru Kirijo herself."

"Wow, he must be impressive if she's vouching for him. Must be extremely short notice too if his name's not on the board."

"No, that's not the reason. Apparently, from what I hear, he doesn't know who he is. He has no memory of... anything, really."

"What...? So, he's an amnesiac?"

"That's what I heard... It's difficult to imagine, isn't it? I wonder if we'll get to meet him...?"

That was the moment I decided to make myself scarce, retreating to the corridor that Yukari directed me down. I knew that if I get caught, I would have been dragged into a long conversation that I didn't have the time for.

I quickly found the door to the Faculty Office and let myself in. A mostly large room with a large table in its centre, sectioned off so the teachers could have a space for themselves. It was nearly devoid of life, with the lone exception being a woman with short light brown hair that reached to her neck, wearing a brown faculty work jacket along with a white turtleneck-like collar shirt.

She noticed me rather quickly.

"Oh, are you the new student?" she asked. I nodded and walked over to her. "Mitsuru has already told me of your circumstances." She shook her head and let out a humourless chuckle. "To be honest, I never thought I would have a student like you." She lifted out a folder and sifted through its pages. "A boy with no past to speak of. One who can't even remember it himself." She raised her head to look at me. "I'm sorry, where are my manners? I'm Miss Toriumi. I teach Composition. Welcome to our school."

I straightened up in her presence. From the conversation at the bulletin board, I surmised that she was to be my teacher. It was only right to show her the proper respect.

"N-Nice to meet you," I said nervously. Not being around many adults made me slightly uncomfortable when talking to one, and I think that nervousness I was feeling came across as a matter of course. "M-My name is Kazuto, so i-if you could call me by that name, that would be..."

Miss Toriumi nodded in understanding.

"And your last name?"

"Eh?"

"It looks better on documents to have both a first and last name, so how about you choose one for yourself right now?"

I looked down at the ground as I gave it some thought. It only made sense, really. I couldn't just go about my days with only a first name. People would constantly be asking questions, and, as she said, it would look better on official documentation and the like.

"...Tomomi. My name will be Kazuto Tomomi."

I decided on the name rather quickly. It was one of those "Ah. That's just how it has to be" kind of decisions. I knew I would be satisfied if I was known by that name.

Miss Toriumi nodded and wrote the name down in the folder.

"Have you seen the classroom assignments?" she asked after she closed the folder and placed it down.

"I got a glance, but I didn't see much. Besides, I heard that my spot was blank."

"Yes, for reasons you are already well aware of. You're in 2-F; that's my class. But first, we need to go to the auditorium. The Welcoming Ceremony will be starting soon. Follow me."

Miss Toriumi led me through the halls of the bottom floor, through a connecting pathway to the building behind the school, and eventually to a large building that I immediately could tell was the auditorium. The size, the amount of chairs—enough to hold every student in the school, the stage, and the podium.

She showed me to my seat and there, I waited.

A rather portly old man stepped up to the podium a few minutes later. White hair and mustache; cream sweater, white shirt, red tie, under a beige jacket. There, he spoke into the microphone with a voice that made me avoid looking at him. His voice just unsettled me for some reason.

"As you begin the new school year, I'd like each of you to remember the proverb, 'If a job's worth doing, it's worth doing well.' When applied to student life, this means..."

The principal continued with his speech. Something about always committing yourself to something if it's worth the time, and school work was always worth the time. At least, I _believe_ that was what he was trying to say. I tuned out after that point.

"Psst, hey."

I heard a whisper close by. Right behind me, actually. I turned my head and saw that a male student was trying to get my attention.

"You came to school with Yukari this morning, right?" he asked. "I saw you two walking together. Hey, I have a question. Do you know if she has a boyfriend?"

I almost sighed with the realisation that I was right. She _was_ popular. Popular enough to have the males hoping for a chance to ask her out. And popular enough that anything unusual that happened with her would become the talk of the school before homeroom.

Regardless, I decided to be as honest as I could.

"I wouldn't know," I replied. "I'm new here, and she was just helping me, that's all."

"Really? ...I suppose that makes sense. I thought you might know, but I guess not... So, how well _do_ you know her?"

I didn't get the chance to respond.

"I hear talking," a booming male voice from the group of teachers standing at the side said. "I believe it's someone in Miss Toriumi's class."

And, of course, Miss Toriumi wasn't happy, snapping at the student behind me.

"Shhh! Be quiet! You're going to get me in trouble!"

I realised then that a lot of people were talking. Something told me that this was more targeted then it should have been.

※※※※※

The day from then on passed by quickly. Introductions went smoothly, though I was a little surprised to find that Yukari was also in my class. As soon as Miss Toriumi announced that I was the transfer student, the fact that I was an amnesiac quickly came out.

Miss Toriumi said that they could ask me more after classes were finished. And, sure enough, as soon as the last bell rang, a large group of students gathered around my table to ask me questions.

"Where did you stay before?" one student asked. I tried to reply to every question as honestly as I could.

"Inaba. I stayed with an elderly couple who kindly took me in."

"Did you go to any school before this one?"

I shook my head.

"No. I mostly helped around the town; cleaning the shrine, working part-time in their shop."

"Is it true you don't know your original name?"

I nodded.

"Yes. The name you heard was something I picked today... Actually, Tomomi is the elderly couple's last name. I remembered it when Miss Toriumi asked me to pick one."

The girls found that to be adorable, and I didn't know what the men thought of it.

"Alright, alright, let's give the man some peace. He's probably itching to get any business he has done."

A different male voice cut through the crown and brought up a good point. I _did_ have business to attend to, and I didn't want to get too caught up in answering questions. The crowd dispersed, though I didn't believe that it was over. In their place was someone who I spotted while I was making introductions, but didn't quite place much attention on.

A student around my age, slightly taller than me, wearing a cap over dark hair, grayish eyes, and a goatee. He stood out among the other students, who were more average in terms in appearance. Not in a bad way, of course. I say average in the sense that they didn't stick out like a sore thumb like he did.

"S'up, dude?" he asked with a wide smile. Once he got my full attention, he repeated his question in a different manner. "How's it goin'?"

"Better than I thought it would go." I said, continuing my honest streak. "Sorry, but who are you?"

"Me? I'm Junpei Iori. Nice to meet ya. I transferred here when I was in eighth grade. I know how tough it is bein' the new kid. So I wanted to say 'hey'. Hehe, see what a nice guy I am!"

I saw that he was just trying to be nice, but there was something I couldn't help but point out.

"Some people would accuse you of trying too hard, you know?"

That might have come out far different than I intended. Luckily, he seemed to get what I was going for and laughed.

"Fair enough. And yet, you're still talking to me."

"True." I stretched my left hand towards him, which he took in his own and shook up and down. "Kazuto Tomomi. Though I suppose you already know who I am."

Junpei nodded.

"Yup. Pretty sure the whole school knows who you are by now. You came up quite a lot in conversations before you turned up."

"Hopefully it isn't anything too bad," I said while packing up my books.

"Mostly just people curious about what kind of person you are. I mean, it isn't everyday you meet someone who has no memory."

"Hmm... Well, what you see is what you get with me, really." I stood up, slinging the small bag over my shoulder. "Can't really complain about things I'm not even sure actually happened."

"There is a certain... comfort in that, I suppose."

Before I could think on his words, I looked over Junpei's shoulder and noticed the door sliding open. Being surrounded by new people for a while, I was glad to see a somewhat familiar face. Yukari walked into the room and saw me. Seeing where I was looking, Junpei turned to look.

"Hey, it's Yuka-tan!" he called out when he caught sight of her. "I didn't think we would be in the same class again."

She walked over, looking a little annoyed at Junpei.

"At it again, huh? I swear you'll talk to anyone who'll listen. Did you ever think you might be bothering someone?"

Junpei looked insulted at the very notion that he was being a nuisance.

"What?! But I was just being friendly!"

"If you say so." Rolling her eyes, Yukari turned from Junpei to look to me. "Anyway, looks like we're in the same homeroom, huh?"

"Yeah, what are the odds of that? It might be fate," I said, somewhat jokingly.

"Fate? Yeah, right." She let out a chuckle. "Still, I'm a little surprised."

Off to the side, Junpei looked a little annoyed at the way the conversation was going.

"Um, hello? Are you forgetting that I'm in this class too?" I looked just in time to see that wide smile plastered on his face once again. "By the way, I heard you two came to school together this morning. What's up with that? C'mon, gimme the dirt!"

I knew that being led to school by her would cause trouble eventually, but I didn't think it would happen literally the same day. Yukari protested this vehemently.

"Wh-What are you talking about?! We live in the same dorm. There's nothing going on, okay? Why are people even talking about it?! Now you have me worried..."

"She was just helping me out, that's all," I told him. "I'm new here so I don't really know what I'm doing. I mean, I was tired after last night so I didn't get a chance to do much before coming here."

Hopefully, with that cleared up, we would move on from this topic... Unfortunately, I made a slight error. A poor choice of words that led to Junpei's mind going right to the gutter. Yukari was the first to notice the look on his face.

"Wh-What?"

"L-Last night...?" he asked, the cogs in his head turning.

Yukari and I realised my blunder at that moment. Her face turned bright red and I looked away from the both of them.

"W-Wait a minute! Don't get the wrong idea!" she yelled. "Listen! I just met him yesterday, and there's absolutely nothing between us! Geez... I've gotta go. I've got something to take care of for the archery team. But you better not start any rumours!"

Footsteps leaving in the opposite direction of us. The sound of the door opening and closing. I could tell that she left the room, even if I wasn't looking.

"Ah, who cares?" Junpei asked, grabbing my focus and making me look at him. "No one takes rumours seriously, anyway. She's so paranoid." He looked to me with a smile and clapped my shoulder affectionately. "But, hey! It's not even your first week here, and people are already talkin' about you! Believe it or not, she's actually pretty popular. You da man!"

"I kind of figured that." I laughed as I pried his hand off my shoulder. "And don't ever say that again... Something wrong?"

Junpei turned to look out the window with a thoughtful gaze. I wondered if he remembered something, but then I noticed the small smile on his face.

"It's nothing," he eventually said. "I just have a feeling that this is gonna be a fun year."

His words were spoken innocently. A simple feeling that the coming year would be a good one. Unaware of the trials to come.

Perhaps things could have stayed like this, peaceful and unassuming, had he not known what I truly was, and what I could possibly become.

※※※※※

Junpei and I exited the building together. He offered to show me around the city, hit all the major landmarks, and help me familiarise myself with the city. An unexpected offer, but one I accepted with no hesitation.

"Whoa, check out the jocks on their run," Junpei said as a group of athletes ran by us. "Hey, did anyone tell you about the school clubs yet?"

"Don't think anyone had the chance to." I shrugged my shoulders as I responded.

"There're plenty of choices to choose from. You look somewhat athletic, so maybe something like kendo or volleyball would be up your alley."

"Hmm? ...I'll think on it and decide later."

"Fair enough," he said, nodding his head before continuing. "Either way, you would be joining up as a new member, so you won't be able to apply for a little while. I'm sure this place will keep you busy until then."

On that, I had no doubt.

We made our way to the bridge. The Moonlight Bridge, as it was known. A large structure connecting the man-made island with the natural one. By the time we reached the bridge, the sun was already beginning to make its descent. Hints of orange began to replace the azure sky as we walked across.

Junpei was silent, letting me take in the sight around me. Something that I didn't get the chance to the previous night. I stopped suddenly. We were around the midway point when I decided to look out towards the ocean. Junpei didn't notice that I had stopped and continued walking.

Something about it just... The sight was captivating, but it was also tinged with a feeling unlike the one I felt during my ride on the train. A feeling of melancholy. Perhaps it had something to do with the bridge. Something must have happened there, a long time ago.

It wouldn't have been right for me to speculate, seeing as I was an outsider. But one had to wonder just what had occurred to have placed such a profound sadness on this bridge. One so potent that even someone like me could sense it.

"But still... this is a beautiful sight. Romantic, even."

I smiled. Because regardless of what had happened in the past, it couldn't take away this sight in the present. I etched this image into my memory, recording as much detail as I could. This wouldn't be a bad first memory of Iwatodai. In fact, I preferred it that way. A peaceful sight, not marred by the sound of the moving train or the presence of others. Bathed in the gentle orange of the sun. Yes, that was definitely something I would remember.

The sound of footsteps. I didn't see anybody walking on the bridge with us, and the sound of the footsteps were coming from my left—the way we just came from. And yet, I didn't sense any danger. I was quite calm, even when someone who shouldn't have been there was walking towards me.

I understood instinctively that this person wasn't there to cause any trouble. In fact, they were there to speak to someone. The one thing I didn't expect was that that person would be me.

"You look different," a feminine voice said to me, a sadness in her voice that I could easily hear. I turned to look. Her body was obscured by a light-brown cloak, but I could see her face. She was roughly the same height I was, so I didn't need to strain to look at her.

She had pale white skin, and I could see that she had short white hair. But it was those yellow eyes she had that were the most striking part of her appearance. Even in the shadow created by the hood over her head, they shone like a precious gem.

"The path you're about to walk down is one that you're woefully unprepared for. The danger is far greater than it should be... I just simply don't understand why he chose you to carry this burden. It's not right, it doesn't make any sense."

"...I'm sorry, who are you?" I asked, choosing my words carefully.

The woman let out a short laugh.

"My apologies. This probably doesn't make a lot of sense to you. You might not even know where to begin in the task you were given... Which is why I'm here."

My eyes widened slightly, and I couldn't help but get a little excited. I was wracking my brain trying to figure out a starting point for my investigation during the brief moments I had during class to think to myself, but I came up empty.

"Do you know something?" I asked quickly, trying not to sound as desperate as I was feeling. "If you do, please tell me. I... Even if I'm meant to safeguard the future, I can't... I just don't know what to do."

I admitted that quietly, almost to myself. The woman seemed to have heard it, and the look on her face told me that she expected a response like that. She closed her eyes for a moment before opening them again.

"Head to the docks on the edge of the man-made island. There, you'll find what you need to begin your journey." She stretched her arm out towards me and opened her fist so her palm was facing towards the sky. "Please, take this."

I looked at her hand, which was covered by a blue glove. In her palm rested a ring made of white gold, its front covered with small diamonds, giving it a rough looking appearance. But the most noticeable part of the ring was the gems embedded into the ring. Sapphires. Five of them, of a similar shade of blue as her glove.

I reached out and picked up the ring, examining it carefully. It was the perfect size for me. It would snuggly fit onto my ring finger without any discomfort. It was almost like the ring was made with me in mind. I looked at the mysterious woman.

"What's this?" I asked. I had to. It was only natural to be suspicious of someone who would willingly give something like this to somebody who they only just met.

"...Something that was taken from you," she told me. That didn't tell me much and I was about to ask her to elaborate. A faint sound grabbed my attention before I could, making me turn around to see what was there.

Nothing. The only thing I could see was Junpei off in the distance making his way back towards me. Perhaps he finally realised that I was lagging behind. I turned back to face the woman, only to find that she had disappeared.

I looked down at the white ring still in my hand. The proof of the conversation I just had. A few moments passed where I just stared at the ring before I closed my fist, putting it in my jacket pocket.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Junpei asked once he reached me. "You saw something?"

I turned to him, glancing down at the ground for a moment before looking at him directly.

"Nothing," I replied with a smile. "I was just admiring this view."

Junpei looked out at the same sight I was looking at.

"...Yeah," he said, smiling as well. "I don't think you can see this anywhere else in the city."

The two of us continued our walk. I kept a firm grip on what was in my pocket the entire time.

※※※※※

Junpei and I went our separate ways when we got close to the dorm. It was well into the afternoon now, close to evening. The sun was starting to dip into the horizon when I entered the front door. I immediately saw Mitsuru sitting on the couch, reading a book.

"Welcome back," she said as I walked in. "You were gone for quite a while."

"Yeah," I replied as I shut the door. "I was taking a walk around the city."

I looked towards the "dining area", for lack of a better term. Sitting at the large rectangular table was Yukari. I decided to go greet her. Hadn't seen her since she parted ways with Junpei and I. She noticed my approach.

"Oh, hi. What're you doing?" she asked.

"Just got back, so nothing much, really. What about you?" I asked in return.

"Killing time. Just doing nothing... Actually, can I speak to you about something?"

"Sure."

She led me upstairs, past the floor where my room was and up one more level. It looked very similar to the floor below. There, we sat at one of the tables that were set up. I could already tell what she wanted to talk about. A conversation that was left unfinished.

"This is about that realm, isn't it? You almost attacked me because you thought I was one of those creatures," I told her, correctly surmising what happened the previous night. She nodded, looking at the ground guiltily.

"...Yes. What exactly do you know?"

"Well... I know that this realm appears for a short period of time. Only for an hour. And it's always at the stroke of midnight. No sooner, no later. Strange creatures live in it, though every time I've encountered them, they don't attack me."

"What?"

I didn't know why she was so surprised. That wide-eyed look of shock she gave me was confusing. Wasn't it normal? It was like an extra hour of the day that only a few could witness. It didn't seem to be doing any harm, so what was the issue?

"Did I say something strange?" I asked.

"N-No, you didn't. I'm just a little surprised at how freely you can speak about it."

"Hmm? Well, we both know about it. So why should we have to keep secrets from each other?"

Yukari looked away, her expression unreadable. A few seconds passed, and I knew that I wasn't going to get an answer to that question. Not that I expected one, in any case.

"So, who else knows about this?" I asked her, leaning forward in my seat a little. She immediately gave an answer.

"Everyone in this dorm. We're... sort of a special group, investigating this phenomenon. We call it the 'Dark Hour'. And those creatures you see are called 'Shadows'." She looked towards the ground as she spoke her next words quietly. "Our enemy."

"...Enemy?" The concept was strange to me, for one who held very little hatred in his heart. The term "enemy" would imply that they held a degree of hate for those creatures for whatever reason. I didn't think to ask why, nor would I have gotten the chance to.

"We believe that they're the ones who caused the Dark Hour, and are seeking a way to eliminate it. Though we haven't made much progress."

"...I see." No, I didn't. I didn't understand. Her words and what I saw clashed too heavily for it to make sense to me. Those creatures, cowering and fearing for their life against a stronger force. From what I saw, _they're_ the ones being terrorised, and the real enemy was whatever else resided in this "Dark Hour".

(The question is, what exactly is that "presence? And how exactly am I going to fight it...?)

"We'll explain everything when we're ready," she told me, unaware of my inner turmoil. "It's too dangerous to go out at night right now, so you should come back here as soon as school ends."

I nodded in agreement absentmindedly. The short conversation ended there and I went back to my room to think... Actually, the first thing I did was take the white ring out of my pocket and place it on the table.

I didn't know of the events that would take place that night. None of us did. I mean, how could we? An unexpected maelstrom of chaos such as that couldn't be prepared for, even if you were cautious.

Something was taken from me, just like that woman said. And, unknowingly, that night... I would reclaim what was mine.

※※※※※

I had awoken sometime in the middle of the Dark Hour. I couldn't sleep for some reason. Dark thoughts continually pulled at my mind, denying me the rest I needed. I decided that it wasn't too big of a deal, seeing as how time seemed to stand still during the Dark Hour. I could afford to stay up for a little while.

I walked to the window. What awaited me was a sight that wasn't easy on the eyes, but one that I had gotten to used to. I was more than familiar with this Dark Hour by now that I didn't look upon it with fear.

Rather, it was more an acceptance of its existence. I didn't know where it came from or how it came to be, but it was a part of my life that I couldn't escape from. So I didn't try to. Instead, I looked at it and pondered many things.

I reached out to the ring and picked it up, examining it from all angles, the light from the outside hitting the sapphires slightly.

"...She looked so sad," I whispered.

The clearest memory of that woman to me was the expression on her face as I asked her what she knew. An acceptance of what was about to happen, and a sadness that was palpable.

I knew that wasn't the only reason. There was something else that drove her to that state but, without asking her, I didn't have a hope of figuring that out. The ring remained in my left hand. Something told me to put it on, even though another part of me told me that the ring was too dangerous to do that carelessly.

I doubted that the woman would knowingly give me something dangerous, and she did expect me to go ahead and do what I needed to in order to prevent this world's destruction.

Pinching the ring between my fingers, I slowly moved the ring toward my right ring finger, stopping before putting it on.

I glanced up and out at the world once again... I thought I saw something, in the distance. Something that glinted from the light of the moon. The moment I realised that I truly did see that glint, my body warned me of danger.

(Dodge. Move. Get out of its way or you'll lose your head.)

My mind screamed this to me in the second between when I noticed that light and when I noticed that the air had shifted. A premonition of danger I couldn't ignore.

I dived out of the way of the window, just as the glass shattered from a sudden impact. It shot through the room, leaving a small shockwave in its wake, and hit the wall behind me. A black arrow with a red tip that vanished soon after it landed.

I didn't have time to rest as I noticed that distortions were forming on the ceiling. I realised what they were just in time to dodge the arrows that were fired. Five of them in total, driving me around the room and eventually backing up against the door. Another shot, this one coming too close to my face for comfort and piercing through the door.

I couldn't stay in the room. It was only a matter of time before I slipped up and one of those arrows would hit me. Ducking under another arrow, I took two steps back and then threw the whole weight of my body against the door. It easily buckled, breaking even when faced with a weakling like myself.

A feminine screech reached my ears as I did so. As soon as I got out of the way of the now open entrance to my room and regained my bearings, I saw Yukari very close by. She might have heard the noise and came to investigate.

"What's going on?!" she screamed.

"We're under attack⸻"

I was interrupted by the entire building shaking.

(An earthquake?)

No, it was far too quick for that to be the case. Something from the outside was causing the building to rumble. Yukari looked to me with panic in her eyes.

"I don't have time to explain! We need to get out of here, now!"

She didn't need to tell me twice. I nodded and followed her lead quickly, down the hallway towards the staircase leading up.

"What about the others?!" I asked as we ran up.

"They'll be fine!" Yukari replied. "They're dealing with things downstairs! We have to get to the roof, it isn't safe here!"

"Can we get out through there?!"

"At the very least, we'll be safe!"

There wasn't any time to argue with her, so I accepted her logic and continued to follow her. We made our way to the roof, Yukari shoving the door open and slamming it behind us once we made it out into the open air. She sighed with relief.

"...Okay. We should be okay for now," she said. I had my doubts, however. I tightened the grip of my left hand, the white ring I picked up still in my grasp. I discreetly placed it in my pocket. I could feel the gaze of the one who shot at me, looking at us from clear across the city.

"...There's an archer aiming right at us at this very moment," I told her. "If they wanted to kill us right now, they could. If we wanted to escape, fighting our way through the front hall would have made more sense. As we are now, we're trapped."

"...I know. If it comes down to it... I'll protect you."

Something in her words... it made me speak without thinking.

"Don't throw your life away for someone like me!"

She stared at me in total shock. I did the same, only that look was directed at her. I was having trouble believing that I said those words just as much as she did. Why did I say that? It wasn't what I wanted to say at all. And yet, even back then, I didn't know what my true thoughts were. What was it that I wanted to tell her?

It didn't matter. None of it did. Not when that impact caused the entire dorm to shake once more, nearly throwing us off our feet.

"What...?!" Yukari seemed to sense something, or at the very least heard it. I did as well. We both turned to look at the edge of the building. An unnatural darkness had begun to build, tearing away at the chain fence that surrounded us, and from that darkness emerged someone we would come to know rather well.

A female wearing a dark purple battle dress, their eyes covered by a black eye cover and blonde hair tied in a low ponytail. What little skin that was exposed revealed her to be rather pale. She looked as though she was taller than me, but that could have been because of the high heels she wore.

She carried a black sword with red runic letters that travelled from where the blade connected with the cross-guard to around half-way up it. She kept a firm grip of it in her right hand as she stared at us. Her opponents.

A sharp sound from my left. I looked for only a second and saw that Yukari had pulled something out. A gun. A silver gun with something engraved on its side, though I couldn't make it out. The woman saw this movement and, correctly, treated it as an act of hostility. She swung her weapon.

A blast of black energy smashed against Yukari, making her crash against the wall with a pained scream that echoed in my head.

"Yukari!"

My head snapped to look at the woman, who had now set her sights on me. I scanned the area quickly and found something I could use as a weapon. An iron pipe. Completely useless against someone with strength like that, but it was all I had. I brandished the pipe like a sword, trying to not let my determination falter.

"...You are brave," the woman told me, her emotionless voice not leaving me much to determine what she was thinking.

The moment she took a step towards me, I charged with a determined yell. I swung the pipe down towards her head, the only real weak spot I could conceive of. A single swing of her sword shattered the pipe I held to pieces and caused me to stagger back. I didn't even see her move.

A sharp blow to the stomach that I couldn't see. I flew back, rolling along the ground for a few seconds before coming to a stop, my face facing towards the ground. I felt my stomach churn, and something rushed up through my throat. It wasn't bile I spat out, but blood. My blood. I struggled to breathe as my lungs burned.

"...Yes. I've confirmed the target. I will eliminate him at once."

I could hear her words, but they didn't register with me. Not with that incessant pounding in my head. One thing was clear to me, however. That if I didn't do something, I was going to die. Yukari was going to die. Everyone in this dorm was going to die.

My left arm moved, my hand reaching into my pocket. I didn't know what would happen, but it was the last chance I had to turn this impossible battle around. There could be no hesitation. But as I held the ring between my fingers and lifted it out, all I could think of was that woman's sad expression.

She gave me this ring, knowing that I would end up in danger. The possibility of my death would always be there. And yet, I got the sense that she would rather I not go through with this at all.

She must have known how weak I was. Why else would she had given me the ring? She knew that I would need it eventually.

But to lose the battle in a single stroke? All that proved was just how unprepared I was for all of this. I saw the strength of my opponent, and knew that any attempt to fight her would end in my defeat in almost all scenarios.

But if my defeat was _almost_ certain, then that meant that there was still a possibility of victory. And that possibility could only have come about due to what I held in my hands.

The woman jumped away from me. She must have seen what I held in my left hand and reacted to it. I couldn't tell much of what she was thinking or feeling.

"...Where did you get that?" she asked, no change in her emotionless look at all.

I didn't reply. I doubted that the answer I would give would satisfy her, and it just wasn't smart to do so in any case.

I managed to stand up. I didn't know what kind of injuries those two attacks inflicted on me, but I didn't care. They didn't matter. Internal or external, I could fix them later. No, the more important matter at hand was driving off these invaders. And it was clear how I would do so.

I looked at the ring, and then at my opponent.

I had given some thought about all of this. Spending the entire evening pondering just what exactly I was about to get myself into. I didn't come to any sort of answer. There wasn't any way to know what I was going to face until I threw myself into the deep end. By then, there would be no way to back out.

But I knew that from the beginning. The moment I stepped off that train, I knew that I would end up here. Fighting something or someone many times more powerful than I.

That woman on the bridge didn't believe it was right that I would go through this. She said it didn't make any sense. If she knew what was happening and was saying that it didn't make sense to her, then I had no chance in hell of figuring it out on my own.

However, I knew this. The one standing in front of me was aiming to kill us. All of us. Regardless of who they were, and what their intentions were, I wouldn't let that happen. A simple wish to protect others...

(...Yeah. That's good enough for me.)

The woman charged. She perhaps realised what I was about to do and what that meant. She was just a little too slow, however. By the time she made her first step, the white ring was already on my right ring finger.

A light enveloped the roof. A bright, pure light that could no doubt be seen from where that archer was stationed. There was no way they wouldn't act when that light faded, so I needed to be quick.

The eye cover prevented the light from blinding the woman, so she continued her charge. I was prepared for this. In my left hand where there was once nothing now had a bright silver sword, a blue aura surrounding the blade as I swing it to face the dark blade of my opponent.

Her mouth opened slightly in response to this. Was she surprised that I suddenly had a weapon in my hand, or was she surprised that I managed to block her attack? Both were equally possible.

The strange thing was that I didn't believe that her speed had decreased. It was simply a case of being powerful enough now that I could match her blow-for-blow. Or at the very least be able to defend against her. With a swing of my own weapon, she jumped back around five feet.

I would have gone after her, but there was something I needed to take care of. That archer was trying something tricky, using the distraction that woman was causing to try and take out Yukari. I wasn't going to let that go by unnoticed.

I spun around. Yukari was just managing to get back to her feet. I saw the distortions above her, signalling the attack of that archer. I waved my hand, creating a protective shield around Yukari as the arrows were fired, the arrows exploding off of the shield. She looked confused and panicked over what was going on.

I would explain everything to her later. I didn't have the time to talk, given how the woman was gearing up for another attack. By the time I turned back to face her, she was already close enough to try to cut my head off. I blocked her attacks.

I was no expert on sword-fighting, but I was able to keep up with someone who was clearly trained. The cause of my sudden increase in ability didn't need to be said. The ring on my finger was helping me in this battle.

Our blades collided in a brief struggle, which resulted in me breaking off from the battle, brandishing my weapon—parallel to my head and pointed towards my opponent, and my free hand raised to around chest level and slightly bent—spinning in order to reposition myself to face her.

It more resembled a dance than an actual combat manoeuvre, performed with skillful grace and with a flourish. Not something to do when one didn't know how to wield a sword properly, but the knowledge imparted to me from wearing the ring made up for my lack of skill and allowed me to confidently move to defeat the woman.

The woman moved once more to attack. I could tell that she wasn't going to pull her punches anymore, and that this next strike was meant to kill. I stood my ground and prepared myself. I was certain that I could dodge or deflect this attack and move on the offensive.

A loud bang. A sudden, violent, gust of wind put a stop to our battle, forcing her to jump back and cut through the wind with a single slash. I looked behind me, where the wind came from, and saw Yukari holding the pistol she was trying to grab before she got knocked back. Behind her was... something that seemed familiar.

It wasn't human, clearly. It was the figure of a woman, sitting atop a throne made out of what seemed to be the head of a bull. The natural act of floating made the woman's blond hair float upwards.

(Did the wind come from that thing? It must have.)

"No, I can finish this." I turned to face the woman, who looked slightly upwards, towards the sky. She was speaking to someone. Perhaps the one who sent her. "...Understood." She looked towards me. "You are fortunate. My Master has other business to attend to and requires my presence."

She turned and walked into the darkness.

"Hey!" I yelled and ran towards her, sword in hand, but by the time I reached her, she was already gone. I didn't sense the presence of that archer aiming at us anymore, so they must have vanished as well.

"I-Is it over?" I heard Yukari ask, walking towards me. I turned to face her, letting the sword vanish from my hand.

"Yes," I replied. "We drove them off. I don't think they'll be coming back anytime soon, and it would be rather brazen to just attack us outside of the Dark Hour... Oh! Are you alright?"

"Y... Yes. I'm okay."

"Good... If you don't mind, I... I'm just... going to rest here for a while."

My consciousness faded as I crumpled to the ground. I thought I heard the sound of the door opening in the moment I fell, but I couldn't tell who or what it really was. The only feeling I had as my mind darkened was a sense of relief.

* * *

【Author's Note】

I intended this to be just around the same length as the original Chapter 2, but it got out of hand _very_ quickly. I hope none of you mind such a long chapter. I just couldn't help it.

There's quite a lot I would like to talk about but I'll save that for when the time is right.

For now, I think there's plenty for you all to chew on. Mysteries presented, characters—both familiar and unfamiliar, and something... unnatural, about this world. Perhaps you've felt it while reading, or perhaps you've already noticed it.

There's something to be said about how easy it can be for one's world to shatter. And how difficult it can be to move beyond that.

Oh, as an aside, sorry for taking so long to get this part up. It may not seem like it, but this _is_ quite an important chapter in terms of this story. I wanted to leave no detail unscrutinised. I was editing this right to the last second.

◆ _Next Chapter – Chapter 3: A Flower for the Weary_ ◆


	4. A Flower for the Weary

■ _**Chapter 3: A Flower for the Weary**_

I could feel myself floating through a blade void. A place that I thought could really only exist in my dreams. I didn't know how long I'd been there, or how I ended up there.

Minutes. Hours. Days. Who knew?

It's in that black void that I heard something that was familiar to me. When I told everyone that I didn't remember anything, that wasn't entirely true. It wasn't as though I was lying. I just believed that since it was so vague, it wasn't worth telling anyone.

That voice, whimsical and mature sounding, spoke words that didn't make much sense to the me that was currently there. It echoed around me, as if being projected to the far corners of my mind.

" _When humanity falters, and they're unable to find the correct path, then perhaps it's to the cards where we must place our faith."_

It's the only thing that stuck out to me in this darkness, as it was the only thing there. A statement spoken with confidence and a sense of wisdom, but I could sense the uncertainty in her tone. I broke down her statement piece by piece, but the part where I put my focus was the line about the "cards".

The only "cards" I could think of that had any association with "faith" and mysticism were Tarot cards. Twenty-two cards in a deck, starting from 0—The Fool—and ending with XXI—The World. The Arcana could reveal many things about a person and the possibilities of their journey. Or perhaps _inevitability_ if their faith in the cards was strong enough to make them believe it.

I didn't know what this woman meant by it, but it just didn't sit well with me. Perhaps it was because I already heard someone tell me that my path was predetermined, but the idea of placing our decisions on the whims of the cards just seemed wrong. And being able to categorise humans and their personality traits under one of those twenty-one Arcana seemed wrong to me as well.

(I like to think that human beings are a little more complex than that.)

Or maybe there was some merit to the cards that I just wasn't seeing. That was entirely possible.

In this black void of my memories, I rested. I knew that I would wake up eventually, and that it was only a matter of time. The only thing I could do was wait...

※※※※※

The sound of birds chirping and the slight rush of the afternoon wind. My mind registered that first and foremost, even before I opened my eyes and noticed the white ceiling in my line-of-sight.

I then realised that I was lying down on a thin bed, my body underneath a slightly thick blanket. I turned my head slightly and saw a familiar figure placing yellow roses into a flower pot. Yukari stared at the flowers for a moment before she noticed me.

"You're awake!" she yelled. She looked and sounded overjoyed that I had woken up. She sat down on a chair that was sitting beside the bed. I sat up with some difficulty, my head and stomach protesting all the while. "Um, how do you feel?"

I rubbed my eyes with my left hand as I replied, "Like someone slammed a wrecking ball into me."

I shook my head, getting rid of some of the dizziness and looked around. A mostly white room, looked clean and sterile. A window behind Yukari, streams of orange pouring into the room as the afternoon waned. "...Where am I? And why are you...?"

"This is Tatsumi Memorial Hospital," Yukari replied straight away. "It's just a short walk from the station. And..." She shuffled in her seat, looking slightly uncomfortable. "You saved my life, you know... so I couldn't just leave you here."

Memories of what happened during that night came rushing back to me. What happened on that roof, and what I did.

"The doctor couldn't find anything wrong with you. He said you were just exhausted. But you kept sleeping and sleeping. You know how worried I was? You were out for a whole week!"

"Oh, um... sorry." I looked away, unsure as to how to respond. Though I could have been just surprised by the news that I was sleeping for an entire week. I thought that the battle must have taken quite a lot out of me.

"Don't," she replied sternly. An awkward pause between us before she continued, her voice softening as she spoke. "I'm sorry I couldn't do anything. Even though I was supposed to protect you, I... But, your power... It was amazing. I've never seen anything like that before."

"...I didn't do anything special," I told her. "If I didn't have that ring, I⸻"

I subconsciously moved so I could see my right hand, but realised quickly that I didn't have the ring on my finger anymore. I looked to Yukari for an explanation. She immediately pointed to the small table to my left.

Along with the flower pot, there sat the white ring. I reached out and took it between my fingers.

I examined it from multiple angles, and I could tell that Yukari was staring at it as well.

"Mitsuru-senpai brought you here for a reason," Yukari eventually said. "She and the others believed that you had the 'potential'."

"Potential?" I looked to her and asked, confusion evident in my tone.

"T-To do the same thing that I did. That power... We call it 'Persona'. Apparently, it's a manifestation of our psyches. They believed that you had the same power and wanted to recruit you into our group..." She turned to look out the window. I saw the faint hints of a smile on her face. "Though given what you did that night, they had to reevaluate all the data they have."

"Why do you seem so pleased about that?" I questioned, an inquisitive eyebrow raised. As though realising that I could see the look on her face, she turned back to look at me quickly.

"No reason," she replied. "It's just... I was thinking that with the kind of strength you have, we won't have anything to worry about. That is, if you're willing to join us... I think they'll pull the trigger and ask you soon. They know that you're aware of all this now."

I closed my eyes and thought on it for a while. To her, what I did might have seemed easy or effortless, but I knew full well that wasn't the case. I believed that it wouldn't happen again now that the initial rush had disappeared, but the question of how far this power went remained. I didn't know what exactly I was capable of, but I knew that who we fought on the roof was very strong.

I opened my eyes and looked to Yukari, who was staring at the flowers on the desk in thought.

"Something on your mind?" I asked, tilting my head slightly. "You look like you want to say something."

She turned her head and giggled, raising her right hand to her mouth.

"Am I really that easy to see through?" she asked in return before shaking her head with a smile. "Yeah... I do. I wanted to tell you that... I'm sorta like you."

"What does that mean?"

"My dad died in an accident when I was little... And my mom and I aren't exactly on good terms." She looked down at her lap as she continued. "You're all alone, too, right? To be honest, I already knew about your past, even before you showed up. It didn't seem fair, though, so I wanted you to know about mine."

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," I immediately said. "If it's too uncomfortable, you⸻"

"I want to. Believe me when I say that..." She took a breath before continuing. "It was back in '99... There was a big explosion in the area. Supposedly, my dad died in the blast, but nobody really knows what happened."

(So that's the reason why...)

I could guess where she was heading with this explanation, but I listened carefully regardless.

"He was working in a lab run by the Kirijo Group. So, I'm hoping that if I stick around long enough, I'll find out something. That's why I'm going to Gekkoukan High, and why I was there when this happened to you... Of course, I panicked and wasn't much help. It was my first time actually fighting something, too. I'm sorry... You wouldn't have to go through all this if I wasn't such a coward..."

...I wasn't too sure about that. She and I were not alike in the slightest, so I didn't understand why she was telling me her past like we shared that in common. Of course, I felt sorry for her and understood why she was involved in all this. But, just because I could understand her, didn't mean that I could _truly_ sympathise with her.

On top of that, she was wrong about one other thing as well.

"It's not your fault," I said, shaking my head. "Who could have predicted something like that?"

"Thanks... but still... That woman you fought. She was quite strong."

"Yeah... she was." My body slacked a little. I was still feeling a little off, but that was nothing a few more hours of sleep wouldn't be able to fix. "Something tells me that this won't be the last we see of her. I think she still has some part to play in all of this. For good or ill."

"What makes you think that?" Yukari asked, leaning forward. "In case you forgot, she tried to kill you."

"I'm aware of that," I replied, trying not to sound too stern. Just enough to let her understand that I hadn't forgotten that fact. "Fate can be a fickle thing. Yesterday's enemies can be tomorrow's allies. And the same can apply in reverse, of course. That's why I won't hold it against her. We're enemies merely by circumstance, that's all."

Silence reigned over the room as what I said sunk in. I didn't think I said anything outlandish or strange. It made perfect sense to me, but I didn't think she fully understood why I believed that.

"...I don't know how you can be so calm about this," she told me. "Aren't you scared? Don't you feel at least _some_ anger at all this?"

"What do I have to be angry about?" I asked in return. "And no, I'm not scared of fighting... If there's one thing I _am_ scared of, it's failing to accomplish the task I gave myself."

Once again, there was silence in the room. All I told her was the truth. There wasn't any reason for me to lie, and she knew it. But the fact that I could only muster a _little_ emotion over what happened baffled her. She eventually shook her head and smiled.

"What am I doing, bothering you with all of this when you've only just woken up?" she asked rhetorically. I didn't realise this and opened my mouth to ask what she meant, only for her to continue before I got the chance. "While I was waiting, I thought to myself, 'I've been hiding so many things from him. As soon as he wakes up, I'll tell him the truth.' So, thanks for listening. I've been wanting to share that story with someone for a long time."

She stood up.

"Alright, I'm gonna get going. I'll let the others know you woke up. Take it easy, okay? Be a good patient! And don't hesitate to call the nurse. I'm sure she'll take good care of you."

She began to leave. There was still something I needed to tell her, so I turned my head in the direction she was walking in and called out to her.

"Hey." She stopped and turned to look at me. "Tell Mitsuru-senpai... that I want to help. I'll join your group to help figure out what's going on in this city. And tell her that I have an idea where we should start."

She seemed very surprised at that, though only for a moment. Her features hardened and she nodded, turning around to leave... but I still wasn't quite done talking.

"Oh, and..." She stopped and turned around once again. I looked down, feeling a little embarrassed about what I was about to say. "...Thank you. For the flowers. They're very pretty."

That hard expression of hers softened into a smile when I looked at her again.

"No problem," she said. "It's the least I could do."

This time, she was able to leave, leaving me in the warm silence of the hospital room. I laid my head down on the pillow and stared at the flowers. The sight reminded me of something, but I couldn't remember what it was. Deciding not to place too much thought on it, I closed my eyes and went to sleep.

The biggest question on my mind was how long it would take before they would let me leave.

※※※※※

The doctor gave me the all clear by the end of the day and I made my way back to the dorm with Yukari. The next day, I went back to school. Unexpectedly, I was bombarded with worried questions from my classmates. I'd only known them for a day and they were that worried. I suppose it would be quite a surprise for the amnesiac transfer student to land in the hospital for a week for reasons that he couldn't explain.

"What happened?" a male student near the front asked.

"Did you get hurt?" a female student at the back called out.

"Were you mugged?" another female student at the front asked.

"Did you get that ring you're wearing recently? I didn't see you wearing it last week," a male student in the middle row asked.

"The city air just wasn't kind to me. No, I'm fine. Does it look like I have any money? And I've had this ring since before I arrived. I only just found it among my luggage last night," I responded to the three questions quickly, experiencing a little deja vu over the whole thing. Miss Toriumi called for class to begin, telling me that I had to work double time to catch up. Not unexpected, and I was able to easily catch up by lunch time, despite some headaches and bouts of dizziness. The day progressed like normal until the final bell rang.

I packed up the new books I was given, while Junpei was talking from the seat next to mine.

"It just gets stranger and stranger with you," he said amusedly. "First day you turn up, we learn you have no memories. The next day, you're in the hospital."

"Well, life can have these unexpected twists and turns," I replied with a smile. "Wouldn't you find it odd if I _wasn't_ a little strange?"

"...I suppose so," he said after a moment of contemplation. "Anyway, I'm glad you're alright, man. That ring of yours is pretty sick, though. Where did you get it?"

"A strange woman with white hair gave it to me, saying that it was taken from me. She was returning it, and before I could ask her what she meant, she disappeared into the wind."

"...I can't tell if you're actually serious about that."

"And if I have my way, you're never going to know."

I would have probably gotten a few minutes of entertainment watching Junpei try to puzzle through what I said, but Yukari entered the room. She looked around the room and spotted me quickly. I knew that she was looking for me and stood up as she approached.

"Hey, Mitsuru-senpai told me to bring you back to the dorm as soon as possible. She needs to talk to you," she said with an ominous tone.

I turned to Junpei.

"Well, duty calls," I told him. I followed behind Yukari as she left, giving Junpei a short wave. "See you later, Goatee-san."

"Goatee?!"

I didn't respond, leaving the classroom with Yukari and eventually making our way out of the building entirely.

As we walked, we made light conversation to fill the air.

"You seem to be doin' pretty well," Yukari said.

"Not really," I told her, raising my hand to my head as I felt another wave of dizziness hit. "Still feeling a little dizzy."

"Wow, even after all that rest?" She sounded surprised, and I didn't blame her. "Is it difficult to walk?"

"I'll manage. I think it's just my body getting used to the ring's power. It'll pass."

That was the last we spoke of it. By the time we reached the dorm, my head cleared up. I followed her through the lobby and up the stairs. I threw a curious look down the hallway of the second floor.

"I see you've repaired the door," I commented as we walked up the steps to the third floor.

"And the window. And the wall," Yukari added, sounding a little exasperated. "You didn't see it, but the front hall was trashed as well. Whoever those people were, they were pretty dead set on what they were trying to do."

I didn't tell her that I thought they were hunting me, going by what the woman said about "locating the target." All that would have done was create more questions, and I didn't want her to have to deal with that on top of everything else. So I stayed silent.

We stepped onto the fourth floor and I immediately saw the large wooden double doors that led into what I assumed to be a meeting room of some kind. Yukari looked back at me and gave me a small nod before she opened the door. We entered the room.

I was immediately floored by not only how spacious the room was, but also what was contained in it. A large console with multiple screens stood off to the left, covered in buttons and levers that I had no clue what they actually did. I still don't know what they do.

There were several couches facing each other in front of us and a large single couch facing the door at the far end of the room with some large windows behind it, though the curtains were currently closed.

Mitsuru was sitting on the couch to our right, and someone I hadn't met before was sitting on the couch to our left. A man around a year older than me with short silver hair, wearing a white shirt with a red sweater vest, and black trousers. He wore black gloves on his hands and there was a white band-aid above his left eye, curiously enough.

There was a much older man sitting on the couch at the far end of the room. A middle-aged man with dark brown eyes, long wavy brown hair, and a goatee. Wearing a tan jacket over a brown turtleneck, as well as wearing glasses, he gave off the air of a responsible adult. Even still, something about him made me wary. I didn't really know what it was.

His eyes moved to focus on me as he spoke.

"Ah, there you are. I'm glad you're okay," he said, sounding kind enough to make me lower my guard. "Mitsuru has called you here so we can have a talk. Please, have a seat."

I looked to Yukari for a moment before following her lead and sitting down beside her.

"I believe we haven't been introduced. My name is Shuji Ikutsuki. I'm the chairman of the board for your school. 'Ikutsuki'. Hard to say, isn't it? That's why I don't like introducing myself. Even I get tongue tied sometimes."

(Somehow, I very much doubt that.)

"Kazuto Tomomi," I said in response. "Though I guess you already know about me."

"Indeed." He nodded. He motioned to the man sitting opposite me. "And this is Akihiko Sanada. He's a senior at Gekkoukan, just like Mitsuru, and a resident of this dorm."

He smiled and gave a short wave.

"How ya doin'?" he asked. "What you did back there was pretty crazy."

I responded by looking away with a slightly ambiguous expression on my face and rubbing the back of my neck.

"Yukari has already informed us of what you told her," Ikutsuki said. "Now, just to confirm. Are you sure you want to do this?"

I nodded immediately.

"Yes. There's something I have to do, and it has to do with this 'Dark Hour'. Helping you investigate will lead me closer to that goal, I'm certain."

Ikutsuki and Mitsuru glanced at each other for a moment before looking back at me.

"And what exactly is your 'goal'?" Mitsuru asked.

"To protect this world," I replied. I locked eyes with her, my determination showing through. She understood that I was being truthful and that I had no ulterior motive. She sighed and gave a light smile.

"A more noble reason than most would have," she said. "I won't waste your time any further." She reached down beside her and picked up a silver briefcase, which she placed on the table in front of me. She opened it, revealing two items. An armband with the letters S, E, E, and S on it, and a silver gun. "We prepared an Evoker for you, but after seeing what you're capable of, we don't believe you'll need it. I really appreciate you joining us. If you have any questions, feel free to ask."

"Welcome aboard," Yukari told me. I looked and saw that she was smiling. I turned my attention back to the briefcase and noted the armband again.

"...S, E, E, S... that's an acronym, isn't it?" I asked Ikutsuki, who nodded.

"Yes," he replied. "We're the Specialised Extracurricular Execution Squad—SEES, for short. On paper, we're classified as a school club. But in reality, this group is dedicated to defeating the Shadows. Mitsuru is the leader. I'm the club advisor."

And that was how I came to join SEES. Little to no conflict and no objections over my decision to join. My eyes drifted to the silver gun still in the briefcase. The Evoker, as they called it. Even though I wouldn't be using it, I recognised it to be an essential component in their ability to fight, going by what I saw on the rooftop last week.

It was a good thing, and a convenient thing, that I wouldn't be using it myself. It would only serve to get in my way.

The moment where I officially joined SEES would have been a good a place as any to break the meeting off, but there was still something important to talk about.

"Yukari mentioned that you have an idea where we should start our investigation," Mitsuru brought up. "I'm quite curious as to what that is, so please, elaborate."

I nodded.

"Right..." I cleared my throat. "If there's anything strange going on in the city, then the docks on the edge of Port Island would be the place to check first. A lot of ships come and go from there, so who knows what could be hiding amongst all of those goods? The cover of the Dark Hour would be a great place to act without unwanted attention. I say we start from there and see what we find."

The others took the time to think on it. I hoped that my explanation was good enough to get them to agree. This was all I had to go on. It was on the suggestion of that woman and she didn't give me a reason beyond that I needed to go to find out what to do next, so I could only hope that this worked. A few seconds later, Akihiko spoke up.

"His reasoning makes sense to me," he said. "What do you think, Mitsuru?"

Mitsuru nodded.

"Yes, I do agree that the docks would be a good starting point for our investigation. It's a bit of trek, but if we find something, we can go from there. We don't know who else can operate in the Dark Hour, so we should proceed with caution."

"So, it's settled then?" Yukari asked.

"Yes. We'll wait for a few days for Tomomi to fully recover before going, just to make sure. Besides, we might be getting another new member soon. There's no reason to rush."

"I must thank you, Tomomi-san. I'm really glad," Ikutsuki said. I had a feeling that the meeting was beginning to wrap up. "Oh, I almost forgot. About your room assignment... Why don't you just stay here, in your current room? I don't know what the holdup is, but I guess it worked out in the end."

Ikutsuki chuckled, and I saw a few uncomfortable looks shot his way from the others.

"Holdup? But, wasn't that⸻" Yukari stopped herself and sighed. "Oh, never mind... It doesn't matter anymore..."

(...I don't get it. Still, I doubt it would change anything.)

The meeting adjourned soon after.

※※※※※

That night, the Dark Hour covered this world once again. As it would always, until it came to an end. I didn't know what was going on out there in the world, but I knew that I couldn't dwell on it too much, lest I lose too much sleep over it. So I decided to be thankful for the extra hour of sleep I would get and try to make the most of it.

"Hi, how are you?"

That was until a familiar voice spoke out, waking me up quickly. I sat up to look. That boy in the striped pajamas. He was there, sitting on the edge of my bed like he belonged there when he clearly did not.

The boy chuckled.

I instinctively made to summon a sword to my hand, but I quickly realised that I didn't have the ring on. I put it in the top drawer of the desk.

"How'd you get in here?" I asked, staying on guard the entire time.

"Like I told you before, I was looking forward to see how your journey will unfold," he replied, not actually answering my question. Before I could call him out on it, he looked around the room and spoke again. "This room holds a lot of significance for me. I do hope you'll take good care of it... The world is very strange, don't you think? Fate has its own little quirks that make life interesting. You, being here in this room. Myself, speaking to you like this. I'm curious, however. Why didn't you pick up the Evoker?"

He spoke with a rather nostalgic tone, as if remembering something important, until he asked me that question. Confusion set in as I wondered why he felt the need to ask. If he could show up like this, then no doubt he was watching what was going on. The reason should have been evident.

"I don't need it," I told him. "I have all the power I need. That ring I was given. I don't know why, but I feel that as long as I have that strength, I'll get through this."

"Really?" he asked, surprise in his voice and expression. He blinked a few times before his expression softened. "I'm glad you said that... Perhaps this won't go the way I thought it would." He smiled and let out a chuckle, shaking his head. "That being said, it _is_ a rather strange power, don't you think? A power that takes many forms, and is bound only to you. It may prove to be the salvation of this world, depending on where you end up."

The boy jumped off the bed and walked over to the window.

"Do you remember when we first met?" he asked. "I told you that you would end up at your proper place, regardless of what you do... Perhaps I was wrong. Someone like you... perhaps you will break this cycle of fate we have fallen into." He turned to face me. "I'll be watching you, even if you forget about me... Okay then, see you later."

The boy disappeared, leaving me questioning everything that I had just seen and heard. I wasn't dreaming, I knew that for certain, but the boy's words and the meaning behind them eluded me.

After a few moments staring at where the boy used to be, as if trying to be certain I wasn't just hallucinating, I gently rested my head onto my pillow.

(...Fate, huh...?)

That night, I didn't sleep peacefully.

* * *

【Author's Note】

Now that Kazuto's officially a part of SEES, things will be picking up. The next chapter will be the conclusion to the first arc of this story, the "(Un)Familiar Beginnings Arc". If you go to my profile right now, you'll see the name of the arc that'll be coming afterwards.

Now, you may have noticed that my pen name is different and you may wonder why. Well, it's in preparation for next year, which will be significant in my writing career. More news on that hopefully coming in the near future. I'm super excited about it and looking forward to making a long-time goal of mine a reality. Long time followers will probably recognise the name straight away, and are probably questioning the significance of it.

The question of what it means, I'll leave to your imagination.

◆ _Next Time – Chapter 4: Battle at the Docks_ ◆


	5. Battle at the Docks

■ _**Chapter 4: Battle at the Docks**_

The day after I officially joined SEES was a Sunday, so we all had the day off from school. I realised at around midday that it was the first official day off I had since I arrived in Iwatodai. Not counting the days I was unconscious in a hospital, of course.

Everybody had cleared out from the dorm to do their own thing. I decided to stay in and rest, seeing as I was still feeling a little groggy. I figured that by tonight I would be back up to full strength. And not a moment too soon, I thought to myself. I was anxious to get started with the investigation.

My thoughts were occupied with thinking about how to go about it, and what we could expect to find. I didn't get much done during the day, and thinking about it provided no concrete answers. The day had grown late by the time I decided to give up on it.

I sighed when I entered my room, having just returned from the restroom.

"All I can really do is play it by ear..." I mused softly. "I won't know what's going on until I get there, so there's no point in worrying about it."

I stopped in the middle of the room, the setting sun bathing it in orange. My sight was drawn to the drawer of the desk that sat in front of the window. What I placed in that drawer hadn't been taken out since the previous night, after my run-in with that mysterious child.

I realised then that I couldn't put it off for much longer. I _had_ to use that power again and see what exactly I was capable of at that moment. I walked over carefully and pulled the drawer open slowly. Sitting in the middle of that drawer was the ring that quite literally saved our lives a week ago.

I pulled it out and looked at it for a moment before putting it on. I didn't feel any rush of power this time, perhaps because I had become acclimated to it. It wasn't a foreign element anymore, it had become a part of me. So I figured that using it would become second nature to me in due time.

I decided to take it slowly at first, and see what exactly it would do to me. If there was any cost or consequences to using this power. Remembering what happened on the rooftop that night, I wanted to make sure it wouldn't happen again before diving any further.

So, with that in mind, I decided to make something simple. A knife. A normal combat knife that would commonly be issued to soldiers. Having the image of that in my mind, I stretched my left arm out, hand open, and focused on making that image a reality. I felt a surge of power coalesce in my hand. I closed my hand instinctively as I felt that power take shape.

In my hand was the knife, exactly as I envisioned it. I took a few test swings. It was sturdy, well balanced, and the blade was sharp. I knew just from holding it that it was a pretty good weapon.

Though I didn't feel anything change from doing this, I didn't relax quite yet. It _was_ a rather simple weapon to make. I suspected that if I tried something more complex, I might feel more of an effect on my body. However, I also knew that when I ended up in battle again, I needed to be able to make these weapons quickly to defend myself.

It would be a good idea to have some preferred weapons to go to, I thought to myself. Three types of weapons should be enough. A normal broadsword, a set of dual blades, and a spear. Simple weapons that didn't require much to make, and not complex enough to delay me summoning them.

I first focused on the sword. I remembered the sword I used during the attack on the dorm, but it was somewhat lighter than I wanted it to be. A weapon like that, but slightly heavier. That was what I imagined, and a moment later that was exactly what I got. I swung it a few times and was satisfied with it.

Next came the dual blades. For when I needed to slice my enemies up quickly, I needed sharp blades, light and not difficult to wield. After taking a moment to think, I tried turning the image in my mind into reality. In my hands were the weapons I sought. A set of dual blades, silver and possessing a similar blue aura when I swung them.

I smiled and made the twin swords disappear in a flash of blue. Last but not least, the spear.

A spear was quite a defensive weapon in nature. Designed to keep the opposition away from you while you poked holes in them. So naturally, the spear had to be long, but not too long as to hinder me. Six feet ought to do it. That would be long enough to make sure that my enemies wouldn't be able to get within three feet of me if I so desired.

A light wooden spear with a steel tip. Yeah, I thought, that would do it. A second later, a spear with that description appeared in my hand. I held it with a neutral stance and thrust it forward, hearing it cut through the air. Though I wouldn't know how it fared until I get into a protracted battle, I was satisfied with how it turned out.

Two knocks on the door reached my ears as I let the spear disappear. I walked over to the door and opened it.

"Oh, Takeba-san," I said when I saw who was waiting on the other side. "What's up?"

"Can you come downstairs for a few minutes?" she asked. "Akihiko-senpai has something he wants to talk about."

I nodded and followed her downstairs. Akihiko was waiting for us near the front door.

"Okay, he's here now. So, what's this all about?" Yukari asked. Akihiko had a small smile on his face as he responded.

"There's someone I want to introduce," he said before turning to the door. "Hey, hurry up."

I could hear something being dragged up the few stone steps that led to the door. The voice that responded, though muffled by the door, was very familiar. Yukari and I knew who it was almost immediately.

"Hold your horses... This is freakin' heavy."

The door swung open, and in entered Junpei Iori, dragging in some heavy-looking suitcases behind him.

"J-Junpei?!" Yukari was completely flabbergasted. "Why is _he_ here?! Wait, don't tell me⸻"

"This is Junpei Iori from Class 2-F. He'll be staying here as of today," Akihiko explained like he didn't hear her. More likely, he found her reaction to be somewhat amusing, as I did.

At the very least, Junpei found it funny, going by the huge grin on his face.

He let out a chuckle before saying to us, "Wazzup?"

"He's staying _here_?! You've gotta be kidding me!" Yukari, continuing to be in a state of disbelief, asked this to seemingly herself.

"I bumped into him the other night. He has the potential, but he just awakened to it recently. I told him about us, and he agreed to help," Akihiko explained to us. I recalled Mitsuru saying something about getting a new member to join SEES. She must have been talking about Junpei. Yukari and I looked at him, her surprised about this turn of events, me more curious than anything.

" _You_ have the potential?! For real?!" she asked.

"He found me cryin' like a baby at the convenience store, surrounded by a bunch of coffins," Junpei told us, shaking his head a little. Perhaps from embarrassment, having to recall something like that. He smiled at us, however. "I don't remember much, but... man, that's embarrassing! He said that's, ya know, completely normal. In the beginning. Like, bein' confused and not remembering anything. Did ya guys know that?"

I scratched my cheek with my finger as I tried to recall my first experience with the Dark Hour. Unsurprisingly, my mind drew a blank. There was nothing to pull from that endless black void. I shrugged my shoulders.

"I wouldn't know," I said with an even tone. Junpei, perhaps just remembering that I couldn't remember anything, looked away from me with an odd look on his face. Embarrassment, maybe? I couldn't tell.

"Oh, ah, um... sorry, I⸻"

I raised a hand to stop him before he went any further.

"It's alright."

His worries that I was offended, for whatever reason, now cleared up, Junpei continued on.

"But man, I was shocked to find out about you guys. I had no idea. I'm glad I'm not the only one. It could get kinda lonely, ya know. I bet you're stoked too, right?! Havin' me join..."

I glanced over at Yukari. She _still_ looked at Junpei like she couldn't believe what was happening.

"Huh?" she let out. "Uh, y-yeah..."

From the corner of my eye, I saw Akihiko shift slightly and focused on him.

"Well, enough with the introductions," he said. "I think we're about ready. Tomomi, how are you feeling?"

I nodded in response.

"Good," I told him. "I'll be ready to go at any time."

"Faster than I thought," he said, nodding in approval. "I think we're about ready..."

"Ooh, we're gonna go do something? Sweetness!" Junpei sounded pretty excited. Though I expected that to change as soon as we actually got started.

"Don't get too excited, Junpei," I told him with an amused smile. "We might not even find anything... Though I hope we do." I looked down at the ground, as thoughts of what awaited us filled my mind once more.

"The Chairman will give us the details tomorrow night, so be ready."

That night was one of welcoming Junpei into the fold. Though I wasn't _completely_ relaxed. I had the unsettling feeling that someone was watching the dorm, their presence completely different to the ones who attacked the dorm.

It disappeared as quickly as it appeared, but it troubled me the rest of the night.

※※※※※

The next day, time flew by us with the speed of a bullet train. Before I knew it, it was lunchtime. Junpei and Yukari pulled their chairs closer to my table so that we could talk. Yukari seemed tired, going by the yawn she let out.

"I thought I was gonna fall asleep there..." she said.

"Yeah, math isn't exactly the most exciting subject," I agreed with her, nodding twice. "I probably would have fallen asleep if I wasn't right in Miss Miyahara's line-of-sight."

"You seemed perfectly awake for History though," Junpei commented almost nonchalantly.

(Heh, he's just annoyed that I kept showing him up in History when he got the answers wrong.)

I shrugged my shoulders in response.

"Not my fault you don't know much about the Sengoku era," I said, puffing my chest out a little in pride. I actually knew quite a bit about history. If Mr Ono were to ask me any question about the Warring States, the Three Kingdoms Era, or the Hundred Years War, I'd probably be able to answer it accurately.

That knowledge also extended to mythology, though that wasn't relevant to Mr Ono's class.

"I think Mr Ono likes you," Yukari said with wry amusement. "Very rare that happens."

"Seriously, you're as big a history nut as he is," Junpei said, "You answered his questions as soon as he was done talking. Why are you so interested in this stuff?"

I hesitated in my response. Now that he had asked that question and I thought about it, I didn't really know why I was so interested in history and mythology. But if I had to answer right that very second, I suppose it would have been because⸻

"Well..." I scratched the side of my head with my finger. "You know the old saying, 'Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it'? I guess it's that that drives me to learn all I can."

Before either Yukari or Junpei could comment on it, the door to the classroom slid open, grabbing our attention. Someone who wouldn't normally be seen on this floor entered the room: Mitsuru. She looked around for a moment before spotting us huddled together. She walked over.

"Can I have a minute? Come to the lounge when you get back to the dorm. I have something to tell everyone."

"Oh, are we having that talk?" Junpei asked, being rather deliberately vague.

"I'll save the details for later. See you there."

And just as quickly as she entered, she left. Leaving us three rather puzzled.

"Wow, she didn't waste any time leaving..." Junpei said, putting into words what I was just thinking.

"She's probably busy with things like Student Council, unlike us," Yukari commented, with more than a little bite in her tone. The harshness of her voice actually caused Junpei and I to shuffle away in our seats a little, as if fearing that we would get cut by that sharp tongue of hers.

"Whoa, Yuka-tan! Do I sense some hostility?" Junpei asked in response. Yukari looked down at my table.

"Well, it's not that I don't like her... She's just..."

There was something there. A reason that she distrusted Mitsuru. A distrust that could be clearly seen by anyone who paid attention—you'd have to be blind not to notice. I didn't ask, because it was none of my business.

Though I thought to myself that if this animosity she felt towards Mitsuru-senpai started getting in the way of our goal, then I'd have to step in and take care of it.

(No matter what, I have to complete my mission.)

※※※※※

School ended later that day, and the three of us returned to the dorm together. There, the members of SEES gathered in the command room on the fourth floor. Ikutsuki showed up five minutes later and sat down in the big chair near the window.

"Okay, everybody's here," he announced, silencing whatever quiet chatter was going about between us. "I'd like your undivided attention. For a long time, Mitsuru and Akihiko were the only Persona-users we had. But, that number recently jumped to four, plus one person who wields a rather strange power himself." He pointedly looked towards me before returning his gaze to the others. "Therefore, starting tonight at 12:00 AM, I'd like to formally commence our investigation into the Dark Hour."

"Tonight, we'll be investigating the docks on the edge of Port Island," Mitsuru explained. "Like Tomomi said, if there's anything suspicious happening during the Dark Hour, we'll most likely find it there. We don't know what to expect, so make sure you're all prepared... Tomomi, is something wrong?"

I should have known that Mitsuru would have spotted the look on my face. That distant look of worry and suspicion. I couldn't help it, especially when that feeling from the day before crept up again. I shook my head and looked towards her.

"I'm alright," I said, to dispel any concerns about my health. "It's just... does anyone else have the feeling that we're being watched?"

Immediately, the atmosphere of the room changed. What was a neutral air before suddenly became tense. All eyes immediately went to the window, Akihiko moving to draw the curtains. I doubted that would help, considering what we were potentially dealing with.

"Now that you mention it..." Yukari murmured.

"Do you think it's those people who attacked the dorm?" Ikutsuki asked. I shook my head once more.

"I'm not sure," I told him honestly. "It feels different from them. If I have to compare, it's like seeing a play twice, but the second time is with different actors... Actually, that might not be the best comparison..." I trailed off slightly as I tried to regain my train of thought. It was a strange feeling I got from this presence. It was familiar, but at the same time it wasn't. "If I have to describe it, it's sorta similar to the feeling I get when I look at all of you, but far more hostile."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Yukari asked, confusion in her tone. I didn't blame her for being confused, because I felt exactly the same way she did.

"I don't know. That's honestly the best way I can describe it."

Silence filled the air for a moment.

"It could be another Persona-user," Mitsuru suggested. "And if they're hostile like Tomomi thinks, we could be in serious trouble."

"Shadows are one thing," Akihiko added, sounding a little hesitant, "but an enemy Persona-user will complicate things..."

"This isn't something that we're going to be able to avoid," Ikutsuki said to cut through our trepidation. "At the very least, we'll have to deal with the Shadows as we make progress in our investigation. I know you're all prepared for this. You wouldn't be here if you weren't."

"...It's not the Shadows I'm worried about," I told him with a quiet voice. In that silent room, it was the loudest thing possible. Everyone knew what I was talking about, and that there was no knowing what would happen if we encountered them again. Junpei, being the only one among us who wasn't present for that battle, looked around with a confused look.

"Umm, anyone mind filling me in here?" he asked. "Did something happen?"

"Last week," I said before anyone could speak up, "a group of people attacked the dorm in the middle of the Dark Hour and nearly killed Yukari and I."

I looked towards Junpei, seeing the effect my words had on him, and the revelation they sparked.

"Wait, was that the reason you were in the hospital?!" he asked. I nodded silently. "And they weren't Shadows?" I nodded again. "...Any idea on who they are?"

"Not a clue," I replied. "All I'm certain of is that we'll see them again at some point."

"Perhaps you're right." Ikutsuki nodded in agreement. "Even so, I doubt that's going to stop you."

"Of course it won't."

With that slight shift in tone from me, it seemed that everyone else regained their confidence.

"Well, I think that's enough doom and gloom," Akihiko said, standing up with a smile and look of determination on his face. "I think it's time we go get ready."

He began to walk towards the door, only to stop when Mitsuru cleared her throat.

"Akihiko," she said, sounding like a mother about to scold her child. "Need I remind you that you're still recovering? _You_ will only go as far as I do."

Akihiko didn't look pleased at this, looking away with a slight scowl.

"...Yeah, I know."

I made a small curious noise that went unnoticed. I wondered how exactly Akihiko got injured, but I figured it was during the attack on the dorm and didn't bother asking about it.

"Well, I'm sure he won't complain, as long as you don't get into too much trouble," Ikutsuki said. "Since we're investigating the Dark Hour, battles will be inevitable."

"What about you, Mr Chairman?" Mitsuru asked. Ikutsuki shook his head in response.

"I'll stay here. As you know, I can't summon a Persona."

I glanced at him, raising an eyebrow and giving him a disbelieving look. He quickly noticed.

"Let me rephrase that. I can't fight like the rest of you can."

(Far more acceptable.)

※※※※※

It was around half-eleven at night when we departed from the dorm. On foot, it would take us around forty-five minutes to reach the school, but by taking the train we were able to reach Port Island within twenty-five. There, it was a long walk to the other side of the island where the docks would be located.

Thankfully, there weren't many people around. I didn't want to think about dealing with the hassle of people questioning why exactly a bunch of high school students were out and about in the middle of the night.

Following Mitsuru's lead, we took the shortest possible path to the docks, and were just about to come upon them when I saw Akihiko take out his phone.

"It's almost midnight," he announced. I looked up at the sky as I walked, wanting to see the blackened night sky one more time before the world around us turned. About ten seconds later, the Dark Hour blanketed our world once more. Overwriting it with its own ghastly presence.

"We're coming up on the entrance," Mitsuru told us. I brought my head back down to look forward and saw off in the distance a large array of containers. The kind you'd see on ships and the like, carrying important cargo. Though I couldn't begin to guess as to what would be in them.

We stopped at the entrance of this cold, metallic maze.

"This is as far as Akihiko and I will go," Mitsuru explained. "You'll need someone to provide support while you're out there, and Akihiko can't go with you due to his injuries."

"So, you two didn't plan on coming in the first place?" Junpei asked, a hand at the weapon he was given. A katana.

"That's right. We're also going to appoint a leader to make any necessary decisions."

"For real? ...One of us?" Junpei got a little excited at the thought of being a leader. "Oh! Oh! Me me me! Pick me!"

Akihiko ignored him and looked to me.

"You're in change," he simply said. This, of course, didn't please Junpei at all.

"W-Wait! Why _him_?! He doesn't look like a leader!"

"Well, he _does_ have experience fighting. Plus, with that ring of his..." Yukari trailed off, gripping her bow tightly, perhaps recalling the night I showed my power for the first time. Junpei stared at me incredulously, connecting the dots and piecing together what happened that night.

"Seriously?"

"That's true, but there's another reason. He..."

It was here that Mitsuru spoke up.

"We'll tell you later when the time is right. For now, just place your trust in him."

A bit of a tall order, considering that this was our first night out. However, they were out here on my suggestion, so I suppose that they did trust me to a degree. Mitsuru pulled out her Evoker and pointed it to her head. I was surprised to see this, not really thinking to stop her or ask her what she was doing.

(That's a strange way to summon a Persona.)

Bang. The noise cracked the air and a creature materialised behind Mitsuru in response to her action. A regal, elegant, lady-like Persona, wielding a rapier and a short sword in her hands. She seemed familiar to me, for some reason. After a moment, I recognised her.

The spirit of an Amazonian queen. The daughter of Ares, the Greek God of War, and Otrera, queen and founder of the Amazons. Killed by Achilles in the tenth and final year of the Trojan War, her name was⸻

"Penthesilea."

It seemed that my mouth ran faster than my mind that time. I spoke without thinking, revealing that I knew the name of Mitsuru's Persona even before she said it.

Mitsuru blinked a few times, surprise clear on her expression.

"Y-Yes... How did you know that?" she asked. Quite rightly as well.

"...I don't really know," I told her honestly. "I could just tell."

Perhaps my knowledge of mythology helped me in identifying her Persona. Though I seriously doubted that. I could tell who she was based on the "feeling" I got from looking at her. I didn't have to rely on knowledge of her legend to guess who she was. I didn't understand how I knew that, and I believed Mitsuru knew that I didn't have a proper answer.

"In any case," Akihiko said, bringing the conversation back to our mission, "we'll have you three search the docks for anything out of the ordinary, with Mitsuru using her Persona to support you. It may not look it, but these docks aren't really that huge. So take your time and be thorough."

I nodded before double checking my weapons. Summoning the broadsword, the dual blades, and then the spear. Briefly examining each of them before bringing out the other. Once the spear disappeared, I turned to Yukari and Junpei.

"Let's go."

I didn't realise that that was the first time I did my little weapon trick in front of them. Yukari might had seen me summon a sword during the attack on the dorm, but I couldn't know that for certain. In any case, I wasn't paying attention to their reaction. If I did, I might have seen a funny face from Junpei and the others.

I was too focused on the task ahead. The two of them eventually caught up to me as we began to investigate the docks. Thankfully, all these containers were organized, so it wasn't a huge maze like I thought it would be. At the pace we were going at, we would reach the pier in just under five minutes.

"Hey, Kazuto," Yukari called out, sounding nervous.

"Ooo, when did you two get on a first name basis?" Junpei teasingly asked. Yukari, as I expected, wasn't particularly pleased with that.

"Shut up, Junpei, I'm trying to be serious."

I turned my head slightly to acknowledge her.

"What's up?" I asked.

"...It's about that attack on the dorm," she said. "I didn't wanna worry you about it, so I kept quiet. But, when I think about how we might run into them again, I feel that you should know something... I think they were after you, and only you. The rest of us just got in the way."

"...What makes you think that?" I had to make sure it was what I thought it was, so the question was necessary.

"It was something that woman said. Something about 'eliminating the target.' I don't know what they want, but be careful. Something tells me that there's more going on than we know."

I didn't need her to tell me that. Still, it was good to know that we were all now on the same page. And that there was no need for the secrecy. Still, I had plenty of things to keep hidden. Things that I wasn't sure of myself.

I simply nodded without saying a word and turned to face forward.

"You're coming up on a clearing," Mitsuru's voice rang in our minds. Though I found it slightly odd for a moment, I quickly adjusted. "My Persona is sensing the presence of a few people up ahead. Watch yourselves as you move forward."

"People?" I asked, catching on to that specific word. "Not Shadows?"

"I'm not so sure about _that_. All I'm able to tell is that there are two 'beings' at the docks here. And they both feel strange. One of them is a young girl hiding somewhere. And the other is a young man who's obfuscating everything about himself with some kind of concealment ability. It's like he _wants_ to be noticed, with how aggressive he's being."

I looked to the others. I didn't know how much time we had left, so we had to use this time smartly if we wanted to cover as much ground as possible.

"Yukari, there should be an office around here, go there and see if you can find anything interesting." I looked to Junpei. "Junpei, try and see if you can't spot our mystery guest. Do _not_ approach him if you see him, only observe. I'll go see if I can find that girl. She's the one that's really in danger here."

Nods of agreement from the both of them.

"If any of us end up in trouble, Senpai, alert the others immediately and guide them to said trouble."

"Understood."

"Right. Let's go."

We came upon the open area Mitsuru spoke of, and the three of us separated to perform our tasks. I moved forward with a light jog, as to not exhaust myself while saving a little bit of time. I passed by two large warehouses and eventually came to the piers where the ships would dock.

There, I was greeted with a sight I couldn't believe. The sea, once a magnificent clear blue, was stained red. I walked to the edge of the path I was on and stared out at the horizon. The sound was what gave it away. This sea's true self. The thickness of it while it moved, and the way it stained the rock as it crashed into it with a far heavier sound than water could

Blood was thicker than water. And under the Dark Hours thrall, every source of water became it.

(Just how many people would have to die to stain the entire ocean red? Probably far more people than there are on this planet.)

"...This truly is a world of the dead, isn't it?" I wasn't certain if I was right, or even close to correct. But this sight, and the chill that went through my body as I said this, told me that I perhaps wasn't too far off the mark. "And if that's true, then what exactly does that make us?"

People that exist on the edge of death at all times. That was the only conclusion I could draw from this. Someone else had a different opinion, though.

"People who can see the face of death, and appreciate the fact that we're alive," Mitsuru said, her voice filling my head once more. I chuckled lightly after a moment.

"You were listening?"

"Of course," she replied. "How else would I keep track of you all? Don't worry, no one else can hear us."

"That's not exactly something I'm worried about. Well, at least I have company for this nightmare. Even if it's just a voice in my head."

"I'll be with you in spirit. You can relax knowing that."

I pictured her smiling when she said that. I didn't know why, it just seemed fitting.

"Anything different on your end?" I asked while making my way down the pier to my right.

"It's rather quiet. That doesn't make me comfortable in the least, but it is a sign that we're not in any danger."

"Is the girl you sensed nearby?"

"Yes. She's really close to you, actually. Just at the end of the pier you're on. Be careful, however. We don't know if she's a threat or not, and there's still the other person I sensed."

"Roger."

I cut the connection for the time being and walked a little faster to reach the end. There was a rusted container at the end and a few broken, rusted cars. I imagined this pier wasn't actually in use, considering the mess it was in. Old, soaked, dirtied newspapers stuck to the ground. Wet cardboard boxes piled together to one side, and a chain-link fence surrounding the edge of the pier.

I couldn't imagine what this place would be used for, but it seemed... lonely, here. A place that was abandoned and forgotten. I looked around carefully for any sign of the girl. That was when I saw that the container was slightly open. Curious, I walked over to see what was inside.

"Oh..." I let out silently in response to what I saw. An old couch, a bed mattress without a frame at the very end, and an old TV unit. I walked inside, my footsteps echoing slightly, and tried to press the power button on the TV. "Figures... Nothing electrical works in the Dark Hour anyway." I looked underneath the TV and saw the power plug. "Not even plugged in... Does someone live here?"

Mitsuru did mention that the girl she sensed was close by, and I wondered if she was the resident of this makeshift home. And if she was, how she came to live here and why. It was a terrible thing, to be forced into such conditions. No one should have to live like that.

I stood up straight and made to exit the container when I saw something speed past me. Someone small, in a black, slightly ripped dress. What little I saw revealed this person to have long raven black hair and pale skin. I rushed out and looked around, quickly seeing someone hiding behind one of the rusted cars, glancing over the hood of it with suspicion and worry.

A young girl with a unique eye colour. She had golden eyes.

"Hey..." I called out gently, moving slowly as to not startle her. "It's okay. It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you. I promise." I raised my hands to show I wasn't hiding anything. "M-My name's Kazuto Tomomi. I'm here to help. What's your name?"

An indistinct voice. She was trying to tell me something, but I couldn't hear her. I stepped a little closer, trying my best not to spook her.

"Sorry, what was that? I can't hear you."

"... _You_ need help," she said, loud enough for me to hear her.

"...What⸻?"

Something was pressed to the back of my head in that moment.

"Keep your hands up," a voice slightly deeper than mine said. "Don't even think of trying anything clever."

With no choice in the matter, I stood still. I felt some movement going on behind me, and a moment later I heard a surprised sound come from the male.

"No weapon? In this place? I don't know whether to call you brave or stupid." He pressed the gun against the back of my skull a little harder than before. He had no clue about the ring on my finger. Until the time was right, I wanted to keep it that way. "You're not frightened? Not even a little?" He chuckled. "Looks like I've found a strange one."

There was little to be afraid of. Especially when he was pointing a fake gun at me. I could immediately tell that the gun couldn't fire bullets. It was far too light.

"Like you're one to talk," I retorted. "Anyone who can walk around in all this is automatically a big weirdo."

A genuine laugh came from him as he said, "I can't deny that."

Silence for a moment. I stood still as I heard slow footsteps. The man walked around so he stood in front of me. Black unkempt hair, silver-blue eyes and a light build. He was roughly my height but slightly skinnier. He kept the gun pointed in my direction.

When I got a better look at the weapon, I found that there was something odd about it. Parts of the chamber seemed burned, as if someone put a hot metal rod against it and scratched whatever was engraved on it off. I could only see a little bit of the burn mark as the rest was covered by a white tape that was wrapped around the chamber.

You didn't need to know much about guns to know why that would be a bad idea. And yet, this man still pointed it at me like it was still a threat. I didn't know what his game was, but I decided to play along for the moment.

He narrowed his eyes once he got a good look at me.

"...You seem somewhat familiar. Have I picked a fight with you before?" he asked.

"I wouldn't know," I responded with an air of neutrality. No emotion in either direction.

"...That expression on your face," he said, as if ignoring my answer. "Who are you?"

"It's only polite to give one's name before asking others for their own."

His expression soured at that. He moved a little closer to me, keeping the gun trained at my head. I glanced over his shoulder and saw the young girl staying put. Perhaps she knew that it was too dangerous to move. Or perhaps she knew what was coming.

"My name... Raziel."

"Raziel...?"

His name came from the Kabbalah of Judaism. He's an archangel with the title of "Keeper of Secrets" and the "Angel of Mysteries".

(So he doesn't intend on giving me his real name, ej?)

Well, it wasn't like I had a proper name to give him either. All I had was a name cobbled together at random.

"...Kazuto Tomomi. Though I suppose you already know that."

It was clear he overheard me. He wouldn't have gotten the drop on me that quickly had he not been close by. His question perhaps wasn't _directly_ aimed towards me. Rather, he was more likely asking himself that.

The one calling himself Raziel glanced over his shoulder for a moment, looking at the girl hiding behind the broken car. He then looked back to me, and nodded his head towards her as he asked, "You weren't planning on helping that thing, were you?"

"What's it matter to you if I was?" I asked in return, trying to keep a calm tone. From that question alone, I was already starting to piece together many things. His presence, her presence, the reason why they're both here, and the reason why the girl seemed incredibly jumpy and not quick to trust anyone she saw.

Raziel stared at me for a moment before letting out a heavy sigh.

"I guess I'll need to kill you as well. Can't risk it."

(So he sensed my intentions?)

Of course, I was planning to help the girl even before he turned up. But knowing his goal—killing that girl—and seeing the look of pure terror on that girl's face solidified it.

He had the advantage at the moment, but the battle hadn't begun yet. To the last possible moment, I needed to keep my cards hidden. Using any possible avenue to gain even the tiniest sliver of ground. I couldn't move, nor could I attack yet. So the only tool I had at my disposal were my words.

"Look, I don't have a weapon. I came here unarmed," I told him. "You wouldn't hurt someone who couldn't defend themselves, would you?"

I tried to appeal to any sense of compassion he had. I thought that perhaps my being here was the cause of him deciding to try and kill me. If I managed to get him to lower his guard⸻

"I made that mistake a long time ago, and it cost me everything. I won't make the same mistake again."

I failed at the first hurdle. He was committed to this, regardless of the consequences. The roads open to me were closing one by one. Eventually, there would only be a single path forward, and I didn't know what would come of it if I attempted to do this alone.

However, I did have one advantage that he didn't. He had no clue about the ring on my finger. And he still didn't. Throughout all of this, he didn't even spare a glance towards the source of my power. In this battle, the first attack would belong to me. If I focused on creating a blinding light, I'd be able to disorient him and move to a more favourable position.

I'd lose the opportunity to attack him, of course, but until I knew what he was capable of, I couldn't risk it. If I had to put it into numbers, then I had an 80% chance of survival and a 20% chance of victory if I went down that route. An 80% chance of survival was better than a 55% chance of victory and a 45% chance of survival. Especially when I considered the life of that girl.

If I was on my own, I would have considered it, but since I wasn't, I couldn't take those odds. I _had_ to go with the option that'd lead to more lives being spared. Any other option was unacceptable.

"Tomomi, get down!"

Hearing Mitsuru's voice, I sensed an incoming attack. I ducked a second before a strong heat raced past over my head. Raziel was knocked back several feet, giving me the room and opportunity to bring out my broadsword.

"Kazuto!" Yukari yelled from behind me. I turned my head to see Yukari and Junpei sprinting down the pier towards me.

Raziel's quick footsteps reached my ears, and I immediately turned to block his attack. A short sword, made out of pure crystal, capable of blocking my sword made out of the magic of this ring. I didn't see it on his person, so he must have summoned it to his hand like I did with my own weapon.

He was fast. Fast enough to put me on the defensive immediately. It was all I could do to keep up, and soon enough, there was a small break in my defence that allowed him to deliver a solid kick that sent me crashing into the container. I didn't stay down for long, moving before he was able to jam that sword into my skull.

After a few more blows, it was clear that in a straight fight, I would struggle. He simply had far more experience than I did, and I didn't know his full power. Fortunately for me, that also applied in reverse. He didn't know the extent of my own power, and I used that to catch him off guard.

A wide swing from Raziel, aiming to separate my head from my neck. I ducked underneath it and switched my broadsword out for the spear. His eyes widened as he saw this. I thrust the spear upward, missing his head by an inch. He jumped back, out of the range of my weapon.

With this single move, I had the upper hand now. As long as my defence was up, he wouldn't be able to come anywhere near me. I was well outside the striking distance of his sword. If this were a chess match, he'd be in check. One wrong move from him and he would lose the battle completely.

Compounding this disadvantage he now had, Yukari and Junpei had finally caught up. So now it was three-on-one, and we stood between him and his target. The moment he took his focus off of me, my spear would pierce his body without hesitation. And he knew this. Even so, he seemed... angry about something.

"That look again..." His eyes narrowed, and the scowl on his face would be enough to strike fear in the hearts of lesser folk. "What the hell is up with you, you damn doll?!"

(...The hell is that supposed to mean?)

He looked behind him, as if noticing something.

"Tch. I'm out of time." He looked back at the three of us. "I admit, I underestimated you, 'Kazuto Tomomi'. That's a mistake I won't make the next time we meet... _If_ we meet again."

He turned and slashed at the air with his sword, ripping a tear in the fabric of the world and walking through it the moment it stabilised. A portal to elsewhere, no doubt far away from this battlefield. The tear repaired itself the moment he stepped into it completely.

"Hey!" Junpei yelled, but I blocked his path with the spear before he could move.

"Let him go. We have bigger things to worry about, I fear."

I let the spear vanish and relaxed a little. I turned to look at the rusted car behind me. The pale girl with the golden eyes still hid behind it, though her look of fear was replaced with a curious expression, perhaps even wonder. Feeling that she wouldn't run away if I approached, I walked over to her.

"Are you okay?" I asked her gently. She nodded.

"You... came to help me?" she asked with a light voice, blinking up at me with the innocence of a child. I nodded.

"Yes, the three of us." I nodded my head towards Yukari and Junpei. "The girl with the pink cardigan is Yukari Takeba, and the dopey one with the cap is Junpei Iori."

Junpei protested slightly at the descriptor I gave him, but I ignored him and turned to look back at the girl.

"And you already know my name. What's yours?"

The girl looked down at the ground nervously, avoiding all eye contact with me.

"...S... Sophie..."

"Sophie... That's a pretty name," I said with a smile. "Much prettier than mine." I kneeled so she didn't have to strain her head to look up at me. "That man, Raziel. Do you know why he's after you?"

Sophie shook her head.

"Okay. Do you live here?"

"...No. Not 'live'," she replied with fear in her voice.

No. "Live" wasn't the right word to describe her present circumstances. With her state of dress and the way she acted, I came to one possible conclusion. And I had a feeling it was correct.

"Are you trapped here?" I asked. This time, Sophie nodded her head. "By what?"

"...Ogre."

"An ogre?" A loud roar echoed through the docks, loud enough to reach our ears easily. We began to panic a little. "From the sound of it, an angry ogre. This isn't good."

"Tomomi, something's heading your way! Something huge! Get out of there!" Mitsuru yelled, sounding panicked.

"We're kinda low on hiding spots here," I said as I looked around. Any place I could think of here was too exposed, and if the thing had any modicum of intelligence, we'd be found very quickly. The only choice available to us was⸻

Sophie grabbed my hand, catching me by surprise. I quickly balanced myself in response to her pull.

"This way! Hurry!" she yelled at us. Yukari and Junpei followed behind Sophie and I, Sophie pulling on my hand to get me to follow her. We got off the pier and ran towards one of the warehouses. The large door was slightly opened, and I was surprised I didn't notice it until that moment. The gap was just wide enough for all of us to fit through. "In here!"

We didn't question her, slipping through the gap one by one and hiding in the darkness. There, we waited. Footsteps grew louder and louder. Whatever Mitsuru sensed, it was getting closer. As it did, I heard the sound of something being dragged along the ground. Something heavy.

I took a chance and peeked out the gap of the door. I saw it. What Sophie was so afraid of and what Mitsuru warned us about. An ogre-like creature, red skin, covered in tattered cloth, with two horns jutting out from the sides of his forehead, dragging a large ball-and-chain across the ground.

He scanned his surroundings, growled when he saw nothing, and walked past the warehouse in the direction of the piers.

"What in the world are _you_...?" I let out. I thought something felt familiar about the ogre. I recalled the night I arrived in Iwatodai. How the Shadows there were terrified of something in the city. "I guess you're what I sensed from way back when... I don't know what you are, but you _don't_ belong here."

"Kazuto," Yukari's whisper brought my attention to her. "Do you think we can fight that thing?"

"Without putting Sophie at risk? No, I don't think so. If we were on our own, maybe. And that's a big 'maybe'. No, for the moment, we should just get out of here. Senpai, you heard that?"

"Loud and clear," Mitsuru said. "I'll guide everyone back to the entrance. Keep your eyes open for that ogre, I'm having trouble keeping track of it."

"Of something that gigantic?" Junpei asked in total shock. If Mitsuru was having trouble, than that meant the creature was something on a completely different level from what she was used to seeing.

"Got it," I said before motioning for everyone to follow me. We carefully retraced our steps through the docks back to the path of containers we came from. All the while, we could hear the ogre's footsteps in the distance, and the distant sound of metal being scraped across the ground.

As we came close to exiting the docks, the footsteps grew louder once more. We all knew what was heading our way.

"Hide!" I ordered Yukari and Junpei as they ducked behind a nearby container. The ogre was moving surprisingly fast. If I followed them, Sophie and I would be spotted for sure. With no time to think, I grabbed Sophie's hand and led her to the building nearby. The same building I sent Yukari to earlier, so the door must have been unlocked.

I heard Sophie let out a yelp of pain as she fell to the ground. I stopped and helped her up quickly.

"You okay?" I asked quickly. She shook her head.

"M-My ankle, it's..."

She must have twisted her ankle when she fell. She knew that we had to get inside the building, and forced herself to run the rest of the way, a pained expression on her face all the while.

Thankfully, I was correct about the door being unlocked. I shut the door behind us once we were inside and hid under the large table.

A second. Two seconds. Three seconds. Ten seconds had gone by without a sound. I wasn't willing to move. Not until I was certain that the ogre was far away from the rest of us.

However, after fifteen seconds of agonising silence, the ogre's footsteps drew near. He stopped. From how close they sounded, I guessed that he was right outside the building. A sound like he was kneeling down, and movement like he was moving his head to look around.

"...I know you're there, little one. I can smell your fear."

A sadistic, demonic voice rang out. He drew out the last word, almost like he was enjoying this.

"And what's this? There's something with you. Something... different." He sniffed the air around him. "Hmm...? Smells of trickery. This one doesn't belong here, in this world."

I felt a little insulted, to be referred to as such by such a creature.

"Tell me... How do you wish to die?"

I kept silent, and I kept Sophie close. He sensed my presence but he couldn't have known where we were exactly. If I stayed still, it was possible he would go⸻

Sophie suddenly moved from my grasp and flicked her wrist like she was throwing something. The ogre sharply moved, growling in anger.

"The brat! She tricked me! You'll wish you were dead when I'm through with you!"

The ogre ran away from us, in the direction of the warehouses we were at. A few seconds later, I felt his presence vanish. Sophie and I got out from under the table.

"I... think we're safe," I said, sounding a little unsure. I turned to the young girl beside me. "What did you just do?"

Sophie avoided direct eye contact while she replied, "Gotou is very dangerous, and can be very smart when he wants to be, but he falls for illusions far too easily. It won't distract him for long. We've only got a few minutes at best."

"Then we better make the most of it. We can talk about this later. Can you walk?" Sophie shook her head in response. I thought about the best way to handle it, and though I thought she wouldn't have liked the idea that immediately came to mind, it was the best I could think of under these circumstances.

"Yah?!" Sophie let out a small scream as I lifted her up into my arms. She was surprisingly light, making her easy to carry.

"Sorry, Sophie, I know we've only just met. But if you could bear with this until we get home, I promise to make it up to you."

I walked out the building and quickly made my way to the entrance, meeting up with Junpei and Yukari along the way.

※※※※※

Evading the ogre's sight, the four of us quickly made our way back to the entrance.

"Are you all okay?" Mitsuru asked the moment she saw us coming. "That was a close one."

"We're fine," I replied. "Though we do have a passenger for the trip home." I looked down at the girl in my arms. "This is Sophie. And I suspect she's been that thing's prisoner for a long time."

I wondered if Sophie was what the white-haired girl wanted me to find. Or perhaps it was the ogre that I was meant to find. Either way, we've encountered something rather peculiar.

"Should we bring her back to the dorm?" Yukari asked.

"That's a given. I'm not going to just hand her back to that thing."

"I agree," Mitsuru said with a nod. "We should make our leave, and quickly. I don't want to think what would happen if that thing finds us."

With that unsettling thought in our minds, we quickly walked in the direction we came from.

I tried not to walk too fast, to make sure Sophie was as comfortable as possible. As we walked, she looked around her in a state of disbelief... The poor girl. Trapped by a monster, hunted by a mysterious man. She probably thought that she would never see the outside of her prison, losing any hope of a life outside of that torture. Until I found her by chance.

As if the realisation that she was free finally set in, she completely went limp against me, closing her eyes. It was like this was the first time she could properly sleep without the fear of that ogre haunting her.

"...So warm..." I heard her murmur happily. I smiled and lifted my head to look forward. That was how I knew that, regardless of what would come next, I made the right choice.

The Dark Hour continued on. From my guess, we spent around fifteen minutes in those docks, and around ten minutes had gone by since we began our trek back.

I eventually recognised the road we were walking down. It was only a short walk to the station from there. As I saw a familiar gate, I stopped and looked down the long brick path that led to a building that I only knew for a short time, but had made quite an impression on me when I first saw it.

(So you're still the same, even here...)

Gekkoukan High School remained the same, even under the influence of the Dark Hour. The only thing I noticed that was "different" was that there was a feeling of emptiness surrounding the building. Like something had been taken from it. Something that should have been there but wasn't.

"Yo, Kaz." Junpei's voice dragged me back to reality. I turned my head to look at him as he approached. "What's up? You saw something?"

"...It's nothing," I told him, shaking my head. "Let's get going."

With the young girl still sleeping in my arms, we resumed the journey home.

* * *

【Author's Note】

I hope you've all had a great Christmas and a Happy New Year. I wanted to get this out before the new year rolled around, but I didn't get it done in time. Plus, I decided I wanted to spend an extra week or so relaxing before really getting back into things and I'm glad I did.

So the first arc, the "(Un)Familiar Beginnings Arc", comes to a close. There's a reason for the weird way I wrote the title of the arc, and it's not too difficult to guess now that the arc is over. It's a microcosm of what I wanted to accomplish with this remake of my original story: "Familiar in some places, but unnerving in its differences."

The full scope of this goal hasn't been revealed yet, but it will be eventually. With the way things are progressing, I might not be able to hide _their_ presence for much longer. My, my, what a situation to end up in.

In any case, the next chapter will be the beginning of the second arc, the "Child of the Dark Arc". An arc focusing on the newest addition to the Minatodai Dorm, Sophie. A girl whose nature everyone has no doubt recognised already.

◆ _Next Time – Chapter 5: A Different World_ ◆


	6. A Different World

■ _**Chapter 5: A Different World**_

We caught a ride on a train once the Dark Hour ended and quietly made our way back to the dorm. I carried Sophie up to my room as soon as we got back and let her rest on my bed, I myself deciding to sleep sitting against it. I didn't mind doing so. I was more concerned about letting Sophie rest peacefully.

The following morning, I woke up and saw that Sophie was still sleeping. I would have stayed but I had school to go to. I quickly wrote out a note explaining where we've gone to and telling her to stay put, and then went to go change in one of the bathrooms around the dorm.

Everyone had already made their way to school by the time I got out of the dorm. Luckily, I managed to get to the gate before the bell rung.

"Hey," a male voice said near me as I walked beyond the boundary of the gate. I turned to look. "You're Tomomi-san, right?"

The one who spoke was a rather bland looking person. The kind that could easily blend into a crowd. A guy with short brown hair and dark brown eyes. He wore the same Gekkoukan High uniform as the rest of the males did.

"Yeah, why?" I asked in return. In response, he didn't even answer the question. He instead went off into his own tangent.

"Man, I knew it. I heard from Junpei that you're pretty close with Yukari-san. What's up with that?"

"Nothing," I replied with a steady tone. "There's nothing to really talk about. Junpei assumes a lot, pay him no mind."

"Hmm?" the male looked at me quizzically before shaking his head with a chuckle. "Well, I guess it doesn't matter. I'm looking for someone with a little more experience anyway. I'm Kenji Tomochika, by the way."

"Kazuto Tomomi. Though I guess you already know that."

I felt like I was repeating myself a lot for some reason. Couldn't place a finger on why. Perhaps I should have just assumed that anyone who spoke to me was going to know who I was.

"Yup. Someone like you turning up is a rare thing. It's no wonder everyone was talking about you. There's a morning assembly, so we better hurry."

Kenji and I rushed into the school and made our way to the auditorium. There, a student read out various announcements, things about school clubs and new restrictions on how long the students could stay in the school building after school due to a recent string of murders occurring within the city.

"How long has that been going on?" I asked Junpei, keeping my voice at a whisper.

"About two months before you showed up," he replied at a similar volume. "Another three people were killed while you were in the hospital. Not surprising that the principal wants to enforce this curfew."

I wondered for a moment whether the Dark Hour was involved somehow. I wouldn't have been surprised if it was, but we were already dealing with one mystery. I filed it away as something to bring up with Mitsuru later if I got the chance.

"⸻That concludes the main portion of today's assembly. Next, we'll hear a word from the Student Council. Please welcome the new President, Mitsuru Kirijo, from Class 3-D."

Mitsuru, who was standing near the girl, spoke a few words we couldn't hear before stepping up to the microphone.

"So, she did get elected," Yukari said quietly. "Well... I guess she _is_ the most popular girl in school."

"You can say that again!" Junpei replied. "There's like some kinda aura around her... Besides, this school's owned by the Kirijo Group, right?"

"Yeah, I try not to think about that."

I turned my head to look at the two. There it was again. Yukari's obvious dislike of Mitsuru. From her tone, to her posture, it was crystal clear to me. I was about to respond, but Mitsuru began to speak, her voice coming through clearly from the speakers.

"I'll keep this brief," she started, looking down at the podium for a moment before speaking again. "I'd like to share with you all something I learned when I was younger. My father once told me that you can't see the end of all paths in front of you, that your choices reflect your desires in that moment. I didn't understand what he was trying to say at the time. It wasn't until he showed me a video of an incident long since past that I began to recognise the truth of his words."

I sat back against my seat, pondering her words carefully. There was quite a bit of sense to them. If one was able to see the end of all possible paths in front of them, they would be closer to being a demon than a human. Having that kind of omnipotence would save a lot of people from a lot of trouble, though.

"A young man tried to save someone, even though he knew that his efforts would be in vain. Even if it was pointless, he still had to try. Because more than anything, he wanted to save that person. What was his name, you might ask? It doesn't matter. I didn't know him, but I remember what he did. Your decisions are what define you as a person."

Mitsuru closed her eyes for a second before opening them.

"When you reach the end of your path, what will you become? The answer you find is what I want you all to carry through the rest of your time here and beyond... Thank you."

Mitsuru stepped away from the podium. The moment she did, thunderous applause echoed through the hall as everyone clapped and cheered. Strange. Did they truly understand what they were applauding?

"Dang... That was freaking amazing," Junpei said as the applause died down. "So... Do you have any idea what she just said?"

"...Sort of," I replied. "Was it just me or did she sound different up there?"

"What do you mean?" Junpei asked. I shrugged my shoulders and watched Mitsuru as she walked off-stage.

"Don't know. She just sounded..."

I didn't finish that thought, but I couldn't help but feel as though she was only talking to someone in particular with that speech.

※※※※※

Morning classes came and went, and lunchtime quickly snuck up on us. Like before, Junpei and Yukari sat around my desk. As I ate my lunch, my thoughts drifted to the new occupant of our dorm. My expression hardened a little as I recalled what I saw.

The broken down "home". The prison she was held in. The beast that watched over her. These thoughts continually broke my focus throughout the day, and I was lucky that no one noticed it. The thought of what I saw in that trailer and what it meant made me angry. It was like a rising pool of lava. If it could be compared to anything, it would have to be a volcano.

The more I thought about it, the more it threatened to erupt. Before that could happen, however⸻

"Hey, Kaz, you doin' okay?" I heard Junpei ask, which snapped me out of my thoughts and cooled my anger. "That sandwich not going down well? I told you that he didn't look the type to like spicy stuff, Yuka-tan."

"Wha—?! You were the one who insisted on it!"

...Well, it _was_ true that I wasn't the biggest fan of overly spicy food. But that wasn't my issue. Besides, the sandwich wasn't that spicy.

"Sophie should be awake by now," I said softly as I ripped off a loose piece of chicken. The others immediately understood what I was thinking of the moment I brought her up.

"You worried she's going to run off?" Junpei leaned forward and asked.

"I left her a note telling her where we are and telling her to stay put. I don't think she'll run away, but I wanted to be sure."

I saw Yukari nod slightly, understanding why I was so cautious about this. We were walking into pretty big unknowns with what we found at the docks. None of us knew what to expect so treating our every move like we were walking on eggshells wouldn't be the worse idea.

"Well... what are we going to do now?" Yukari asked. And there was the question that I had to answer. There was really only one thing I _could_ do.

"...I think I'll have to talk to her," I said. "Get her side of the story. I don't think we can move forward unless we know exactly what's going on."

Both of them let out murmurs of agreement.

"So what will you two be doing after school?" I asked curiously

"I have an archery club meeting so I won't be back 'till later," Yukari said, picking up her bottle of water.

"I'll be heading to the mall with Kenji," Junpei replied, adjusting his cap.

"So I'll be on my own..." I said quietly. I didn't mind that I would be getting peace and quiet to talk with Sophie. I thought that she would be more willing to answer my questions if we were in private, as opposed to having everyone else around.

"You think she knows what's happening?" Junpei asked me, worry in his tone. Considering what we almost came up against, I couldn't blame him.

"It won't hurt to ask."

That ended the conversation. We sat there, eating our lunch in silence until classes started up again.

※※※※※

I exited the school building quickly once the school bell rang. I didn't feel like sticking around for too long. Besides, I had something important to take care of.

I took the train back to Iwatodai Station and made a beeline straight for the dorm. As I expected, there was no one else in the front hall when I got back. There should have been no one else besides me and⸻

"Sophie?"

No response. She was probably somewhere in the dorm where she couldn't hear me. Well, I thought, might as well check the last place I saw her. I climbed up to the first floor and walked down the hall to my room. The door opened easily enough. I didn't lock it, so I would have been surprised if it didn't.

Entering my room, one thing caught my attention immediately. Sitting on my bed, waiting patiently, was the black haired, golden eyed girl, still wearing her torn dress. She looked up at me as I entered, looking as though she wanted to ask me something.

"Wh... Where have you been?" she asked timidly.

"Didn't you read the note I left you?" I asked in return, shutting the door behind me. In response, she tilted her head.

"Note...? There was a piece of paper on the table, but I couldn't..." She trailed off, looking down at the ground with a guilty expression.

I walked over and sat down beside her after a moment.

"You can't read?" I asked. She nodded her head.

"Yes... I never really had a chance to learn. All I had was that world..." She looked around. "But this place is far prettier than that prison." She jumped off the bed and rushed to the window, pointing out it. "The sky is blue! Did you know that?"

I had to chuckle at her excitement over something so mundane. Well, what one finds mundane, another can see as the greatest thing they ever discovered. So I couldn't laugh too much.

"Yes, I knew that," I replied honestly, with a smile on my face. "How long have you been up?"

Sophie placed a finger on her lip as she tried to recall.

"...Since the time you left, I think."

So she was waiting for around eight hours for someone to come back.

(Did she have any lunch? Breakfast, even?)

She didn't seem hungry, and didn't complain about it if she was. Even so, I couldn't have that. I decided then and there that after having that talk with her, I would rustle up an early dinner for us.

"Would you like to go to the roof and see just how blue the sky really is?" I asked. Sophie's eyes lit up with excitement at the thought and ran over to me, grabbing my hand and dragging me to my feet. "Alright, alright, I get the point." I chuckled as I led Sophie up to the top floor.

The fire escape that led to the roof was still unlocked, letting us walk out and breathe some fresh air. This was probably the first time Sophie had the chance to taste the open air for quite some time. Looking around, I saw that there was no evidence of the battle Yukari and I had with that mysterious woman. I guess they cleaned up any mess that was left behind. Though I wouldn't know if there was.

I looked over my shoulder at Sophie, who was looking around with excitement. A far cry from the scared, serious Sophie I found at the docks. I walked over to the wall next to the door and sat down, inviting Sophie to do the same.

Once we were both seated, we both stared up at the clear sky for a while. Sophie must see something that I couldn't, because she was smiling... I hated to ruin her fun, but there was something I needed to do.

"Sophie," I called out, grabbing her attention. "I need to ask you something. You've lived inside the Dark Hour for a while, right?" She nodded. "Then, could you tell me what's going on? What was that ogre? Is it a Shadow?"

Sophie fell silent for a long while, looking down at the ground solemnly. I knew that she didn't want to think about her captivity, but if we were going to move forward, I needed to know everything. Her downcast expression suddenly lit up. I didn't know what caused her sudden change in mood, but she seemed more than willing to talk to me.

"That ogre's name is Gotou. He showed up around the end of the last year. He's not a Shadow, but none of the other Shadows I knew cared about that. They just went about their own business and left Gotou to do what he needed to. Then, in a blink of an eye, the... 'Dark Hour'?" She nodded as if affirming to herself that was correct. "The hold of the Dark Hour over the night waned. Something changed at the end of last year, but I don't know what. Before I knew it, strange creatures appeared where they shouldn't. I was captured by Gotou and..."

She trailed off for a moment before she shook her head. Perhaps trying to force some unpleasant memories out.

"I was stuck in those docks ever since... until you came along and set me free. Who... what are you, exactly?"

"I'm Kazuto Tomomi," I introduced myself again, thinking that perhaps she didn't remember the events of the previous night fully. "Me and the other people who rescued you are part of the Specialised Extracurricular Execution Squad—SEES, for short. Our goal is to investigate the Dark Hour and find out what's causing it. I was wondering whether you knew anything."

Sophie shook her head, and with a soft voice, she said, "I don't know much about how it all started. But those creatures have turned what was once our home into a place of violence. I just don't understand..."

"Wait, 'our home'?" I asked once I realised what she said. Sophie nodded.

"Yes..." She fiddled with a piece of her torn-up dress as she avoided eye contact. "I'm... not human, like you. I'm a Shadow."

At that moment, something made sense to me. I wondered how she wasn't able to escape the ogre sooner. As soon as the Dark Hour ended, she could have just left the dock and get as far away as possible. Since Sophie was a Shadow, however, that provided a pretty good reason why she wasn't able to. It was because she _couldn't_.

This brings up the question of how she was here in the real world now. I thought that it was because either I took her away from the docks—her prison, or because I was holding onto her as the Dark Hour ended. Either way, it didn't matter much at that point. She had no reason to lie about what she was, and considering what SEES' stated goal was, it was a considerable risk.

It was quite fortunate that I decided to have this talk on the roof rather than in my room.

It had a far better atmosphere for this kind of thing, and there was far less chance of any security picking up what she said. I wasn't so naive that I would believe that we weren't under watch. It's a smart idea to have security, cameras and the like, in place in case of any break ins, but I didn't know how far that "security" went. And just how baked into the structure of the dorm it really was.

So it was indeed quite fortunate that we were up here.

"You won't tell them, will you?" Sophie asked, perhaps now realising the same risk that I did. She looked frightened now. She didn't know if she could trust us completely. For all she knew, we could have been like Raziel. Hunting her down if we knew what she was.

In response, I brought a finger to my lips.

"I won't tell if you don't," I said with a small smile. "It'll be our little secret."

A relieved sigh escaped Sophie's lips, and that sudden burst of anxiety left her body.

I knew that keeping this hidden from the others could result in some problems down the line, but I felt comfortable doing so if it meant Sophie could stay safe for a little while.

"Thank you..." Sophie said quietly. So quiet that I almost didn't hear it. But I did, and I acknowledged her with a small nod.

We sat in silence for a few minutes, listening to the wind brushing past us. We still had some time before the others would return, so why not try to learn a little more?

"You said the Dark Hour used to be your home before those creatures turned up. What was it like?"

"Hmm... Like a huge playground, I guess. Nothing really happened, but the city was ours to roam freely. There was nothing really stopping us from going where we wanted and doing what we wanted. It's really different from this world."

"Yeah, you're right about that," I said with a nod. "People here need to follow schedules and laws and other things humans came up with to maintain 'order'. Without all of those, we'd tear each other apart."

"Why?" Sophie asked curiously. Why would we tear each other apart if we didn't have those things to keep us in check? Well, it wasn't as though I knew the answer for certain, but I had my own reasons for believing that.

"...Because humans, as a species, hate themselves. But they hate each other more than that. If given the freedom, they would do whatever they want, and that includes harming others of their own kind. I guess I just don't trust humanity to make the right decisions sometimes."

I said that with a resigned sigh. While I was generally an optimistic person, it was difficult to keep that up at times. Sometimes, I wondered just how little it would take to throw everything out of balance. And then I would stop myself from thinking about it too much, lest I ended up being the harbinger of that.

Sophie stood up.

"If you want to know more about those creatures, I know a place where you and your friends can look."

I perked up at that. A solid lead? Someplace we could learn more? Of course I was going to jump on that.

"Where?" I asked quickly, standing up as well.

"An old factory south of here. That was where I was captured and handed off to Gotou. I didn't see much before that, but I think they were making something."

For some reason, the thought of what I could find there got me excited. Perhaps it was the feeling of discovering something that was unknown. Or maybe it was because I was finally going to take a step forward in discovering what was happening in this city.

Either way, I knew that I had to be ready.

※※※※※

"And you're sure we can trust this?" Mitsuru asked, one hand at her hip.

I called a meeting as soon as everyone returned to the dorm. We gathered in the command room and I told them what I learned, with Sophie by my side to confirm any details I may have overlooked.

"Sophie's lived in this Dark Hour for quite some time. Plus, she _was_ held prisoner by that ogre. I don't think she has any reason to lie."

"I have to agree with Kazuto, Senpai," Yukari jumped in and said. "Besides, what other lead do we have? It's not like we have much of a choice."

"Hmm...?" Ikutsuki cupped the bottom of his chin with his hand. "The only factory south of here that's out of use would be the old factory at the edge of the industrial zone. It was shut at the turn of the century so it should be abandoned."

"In the Dark Hour, however, those creatures have the run of the place," Sophie told us. "I only got a glimpse of what they were doing before I was caught, but it seemed like they were doing something massive. Something that required a lot of hands, and guards as well. I expect them to have increased security since I was captured, so getting in will be tough. Too tough for a team."

"So one of us will have to go in alone?" Junpei asked incredulously. "That's insane. We'll get caught before we get anywhere. It's impossible."

Impossible? Perhaps. If we had sent Yukari or Junpei in, they'd probably be captured. Sending Akihiko was out of the question, and Mitsuru was our support. Logically, and reasonably, there was only one choice that we could have made. So I spoke up.

"Not for me." I turned to Mitsuru. "How far does your Persona's tracking reach?"

"Half a mile, maybe a mile if I push it," she replied immediately. I nodded. It would be more than enough for what I had in mind.

"I'm gonna need all of you to cover Mitsuru while I'm in there. Make sure that no one interferes. If Gotou comes looking for Sophie, you'll have to be ready for a fight, because I won't be there to help you."

"This is crazy, Kazuto," Yukari said firmly with a worried look on her face. "We don't know what you're going to find in there. Besides, I won't just let you⸻"

"Whatever's in the factory and the ogre that was guarding Sophie are connected. They're going to know that she's gone, and she knows that something was going on inside the factory. If we're going to find out what's in there, it has to be tonight. If we miss this chance, we're back to square one. We have no choice."

I left the room to go get ready. I didn't get far before someone caught up to me.

"Tomomi." I turned around at the sound of Mitsuru's voice. She stared at me with a neutral gaze before looking down at the ground, her hand wrapped around her stomach. "This won't be easy, and I admit that I have my reservations about you going in alone... but I trust you, and your judgement. I'll provide as much support as I can."

"...That's all I can reasonably ask of you," I told her with a neutral tone. Even so, my gratefulness for her trust shone through when I said, "...Thank you, Senpai."

"It's the least I could do. Besides, like you said, it has to be done tonight."

I made my way back to my room to get ready. While I knew that going in alone would be dangerous, I had a better chance than the others. I had a powerful tool at my disposal, and I would use it in whatever way I had to in order to find out what was happening in that factory.

I was focused. I was determined... and I was glad that I could keep them all out of harm's way. If only for a little while.

* * *

【Author's Note】

With a goal now placed in front of them, our heroes are set to infiltrate the factory and discover what it was that led to Sophie's imprisonment.

Kazuto is _not_ a traditional Persona protagonist. He was never meant to be one, which I hope was made abundantly clear throughout the first arc. His story will be vastly different to those who've come before.

Even then, it wouldn't exactly be right to call him the "hero" either. The reason why I say that will eventually become clear. Though I can say that Kazuto will have to _earn_ his position in this story.

But that's something for another day. Next time, Kazuto becomes Solid Snake for a short while and goes on a sneaking mission.

◆ _Next Time – Chapter 6: Factory Infiltration_ ◆


	7. Factory Infiltration

■ _**Chapter 6: Factory Infiltration**_

We left the dorm around fifteen minutes before the Dark Hour began, given that the trip to the factory wouldn't take as long as getting to Port Island. The plan was for everyone else to stand by some distance away from the factory, and I would continue alone. I would sneak in, find out what's going on, and get out before anyone realised what was going on.

Sophie came along with us. She would be on the comms with Mitsuru, just in case I happen to get lost along the way or if there were any nasty surprises in store.

"So, how did you sneak into the factory the last time?" Junpei asked her as we walked. "More importantly, _why_ did you sneak into the factory?"

"Bored," Sophie replied with a shrug of her shoulders. "I was bored and I noticed something strange going on with the factory. So I went to check it out. As for how, there was a small hole in the wall that I was able to crawl through. I think they'll have covered it up by now."

"Yeah," I said, almost absent-mindedly as I thought about how to approach this. "I probably wouldn't have fit in there anyway... Hmm...?"

"What are you thinking, Tomomi?" Mitsuru asked.

I didn't respond to her. My eyes darted up to the various roofs of the buildings we passed before I looked down at Sophie.

"You think the rooftop will be heavily guarded?" I asked. Sophie pondered this for a moment, wrapping a piece of hair around her finger, before responding.

"I'm not sure. At the very least, I think the roof will be your best bet. Besides, getting in isn't going to be the hard part."

I silently agreed. Sneaking in would be child's play compared to what I had to do once I'm inside. There's a lot of room for this to go wrong. Soon enough, we came upon the point where I would go on alone. Five minutes until the Dark Hour began. I needed to be quick.

"Tomomi," Mitsuru called out. I managed to turn to face her as something flew towards me. I caught it by reflex in my left hand. It was something small, solid. A flash drive to plug into PC's. "Normally, anything that runs on electricity won't work in the Dark Hour. But considering our enemy's capabilities, I wouldn't put it past them to have a computer running in that factory. Take it with you, just in case."

I nodded, putting the flash drive in my pocket.

"Right, I'm off," I told everyone as I faced the wall to the building next to me.

"Good luck. And be careful," Mitsuru told me as she prepared herself. Without a word, I ran towards the wall, activating the ring on my finger as I did so. The command I gave it: "Give me the power to climb up this wall."

A slight blue aura appeared around my feet and hands the moment before I jumped. I ran on instinct by that point, climbing the wall with ease like some kind of bug until I reached the roof. I could see the factory off in the distance. Wasting no time, I ran in that direction.

While getting into the factory before the Dark Hour began would be the optimal way of handling this, I needed to see what was going on outside the factory before I got in. Not only to see what kind of security was around and make sure there weren't any surprises waiting for me, but also to get an idea of what was happening around the factory.

Information is a valuable weapon, so it was a good idea to gather as much of it as possible.

Soon enough, I was on the edge of a rooftop near the factory. From there, I would have to figure out a way to get to the roof of the factory without being seen. A large industrial factory, perhaps worked with steel and other metals. The three large chimneys near the back had no smoke coming out of them, and there was no sign of life anywhere near the vicinity.

By all accounts, the factory was indeed abandoned.

"Senpai, mind if I ask something?" I called out to Mitsuru.

"What's wrong?" she replied a moment later.

"Why did this factory close exactly? And what exactly was it for?"

"Money, mostly." Her answer came through with a wry tone, as if she was familiar with this sort of story. "The economic bubble burst of the early nineties caused a lot of chaos, especially where expansion was concerned. My grandfather, who was head of the Kirijo Group at the time, helped steer the company away from turbulent waters, but others weren't as lucky. That factory is one example. Iwatodai isn't exactly the industrial centre of Japan, so a steel-producing factory wasn't making much money for the owners. Eventually, the money ran out and they closed up shop."

"You said that money was 'mostly' the reason. There was another reason why the factory shut down?"

"Yes..." A moment of hesitation before she continued. "There was an incident back in 1999. There were two major incidents—one on Port Island, the other at that factory. A series of explosions that caused a lot of death and injury. Investigations concluded that the owners were responsible and they were charged with negligence. They tried to keep things going, but between legal costs and loss of public trust, the company eventually crumpled under the weight of it all."

"I see... Did they ever rebuild the factory?"

"I don't believe so."

"Are you sure? Because it looks pretty intact to me."

Indeed, there was no trace of any damage whatsoever. From what I saw, it was an intact, though abandoned, factory. Whoever was running the place now had clearly done some work getting it up and running again. And all without anyone noticing.

"They've done all of this right under everyone's noses," I said to myself as the Dark Hour began. Immediately, I could see something off about the factory. At the entrance, patrolling in the main grounds and the side, and on the roof, were some kind of creatures standing guard.

"What are those things...?" Since I couldn't see them very well from where I stood, I used the ring's power to improve my sight to the point where my eyes could be the scope of a sniper rifle. Using this, I was able to get a better look at what was there.

Black, humanoid creatures, with red cracks throughout their bodies. Nothing distinguished one from the other, so if they had individuality or if they were part of some collective, I couldn't tell. They carried cracked, rusted swords. And though they looked dull, something at the back of my mind told me that I should stay far away from those blades.

"Senpai, I've gotten a good look at what's guarding the place," I said. "Not Shadows, but something different. Nothing else is around."

"Copy that. Anything else of note?"

I scanned the area again.

"Hmm... Rooftop's the lightest when it comes to security. Getting up there might be a small hassle but it won't be a problem... I'd rather not pick a fight unless I have to."

The thought of fighting these creatures left a sizable weight in my stomach. And a feeling of dread built up in my chest. These creatures didn't seem any stronger than a common grunt, so why was I nervous about confronting them?

"As long as you stay out of their sight, you should be able to get in without any issue," Sophie's voice chimed in to say. "Whatever they are, they're not the brightest. Still, you're right to be cautious. I had a similar feeling when I saw them for the first time. Something just felt... wrong about all of them."

I kept Sophie's words tucked away in my mind. "Wrong" is _one_ word you could use to describe those things.

"Tomomi," Mitsuru said. Her voice was calm, and yet I could hear worry in her tone. "If it comes down to it, do whatever you have to to get out of there."

"If I do this right, I won't need to."

Jumping off the edge of the roof, I made my way to the factory.

※※※※※

Navigating the streets quickly and quietly was not the easiest of tasks, but I made it to the factory quickly. Going through the entrance was a no go, so once I saw a gap in the patrol, I cut through the chain-link fence at the side of the factory and used the ring's power to repair it once I was inside.

The last thing I needed was for the whole place to go on high alert.

Once that was taken care of, I scaled the wall until I reached the roof. Thankfully, none of the guards ever got the bright idea to look up. There was plenty of cover, and if I remembered correctly, there were only two guards. Getting to the door that led to the stairwell would be the easiest part of this sneaking mission.

"Just in case..." I muttered to myself, drawing a little power from the ring on my finger to obscure myself. I didn't try to turn myself invisible. I wasn't quite sure if I was able to pull that off but if it was to simply mask my presence a little, I was certain I'd be fine.

As I got closer to the door, I heard something off. Garbling gibberish, their speech didn't come close to resembling any sort of language. And yet, I could make out what they were saying. One voiced concerns about the "attack on the docks," while the other said something about the boss getting angry.

It seemed that whatever strange ability allowed me to understand the Shadow's speech also applied to those creatures. Interest peaked, I got a little closer so I could hear them properly.

"Like I said, I don't know if the light security is a good idea. Especially after what happened at the docks."

"I hear ya. Still, that boy has to be insane. Going there on a whim without a second thought, and dragging that girl out with him. Gotta respect him for that, at least."

"Yeah. You hear that the Madam's going to come visit?"

"Yup, and she's bringing her assistant with her. Apparently, there's going to be an announcement of sorts. Probably the order to pack things up and move."

"And thank Asura for that. I hate this place."

"Me too. Can't wait to go home."

...Of all the things I expected from these creatures, disgruntled employees wasn't exactly at the top of the list. But thanks to those loose lips of theirs, I learned a couple of things. That our little adventure at the docks was definitely noticed, that they knew that Sophie was gone, and that a few of the people running this operation was going to be at the factory tonight.

As a silent thanks for the information, I decided to not do anything to them and just go about my business. Thankfully, the door didn't make too much noise as I opened it and closed it behind me once I was inside.

"Senpai, I'm inside the factory," I said at a whisper. "And I overheard a few of the guards talking. They said that the people running this place will be here tonight."

"Looks like we made the right call," she replied. "Gather as much information as you can. It's likely it won't be here after they come and go."

"Got it."

I tiptoed down the doors carefully and opened the door, revealing a connecting corridor that led to a pathway overlooking the factory's interior. There was a window in front of me. I stepped out, looking to my left and right for any guards before doing so, and walked up to the window to see what was happening.

I had heard the sounds as I walked down the stairs, but I couldn't really tell what it was until now. The sight left me in a state of shock. Those black creatures, moving like machines, continually moved glowing ice-like crystals from the conveyor belts to metal crates.

The furnaces roared as their flames tempered the crystals the creatures threw into it before spitting them back out to be stored. Over and over again, this process repeated. Twenty to thirty of those crystals were being moved in a given moment, and I didn't know how many of those crates were there.

"Holy..." I could only let out at the sight of all this.

"What do you see?" Mitsuru's voice brought me back to my senses and I reported back.

"Whatever this factory was originally meant for, it's clear that they've repurposed it," I told her, walking out onto the overlooking pathway. I hoped that the obscuring trick I used on the roof would be enough to mask my presence. "I see... ice-like crystals being stored in metallic crates. They're being careful with them so I assume they're valuable."

"Any way you can get a closer look?"

"Not from where I am. Too many of those things around... I'm going to see if I can't find out where they're shipping those crates to."

"Good idea."

I began to walk towards the room at the end of this pathway.

"Anything new on your end?" I asked, keeping an eye on what was happening below.

"No. Though I think Akihiko is starting to get restless right around now. I heard him grumbling about being left behind."

I chuckled at that. From what happened the previous night, I got the impression that Akihiko lived for the fight. And he wasn't happy about being taken out of the action.

"Half tempted to make up some outlandish story to annoy him," I said with an air of mischief. Maybe I would tell him that our search took us to a horse racing track and the true culprit was a giant flaming horse with a skeleton riding on top of it. It challenged us to a race and the whole thing ended with Junpei's clothes being burned off.

(I wonder what he'd think if I told him that?)

"I'm not responsible for anything that happens if you do," she said, sounding a little bit amused with my tone.

For some reason, it was easy for me to talk to Mitsuru. She clearly came from a place of high standing—a rich girl, pretty much. And yet, when she spoke to me, I wouldn't have guessed so. It was quite the contrast from how she spoke on stage earlier that day. Part of me wondered if there was a reason for that, and another was just glad to have something to take my mind off of what I was seeing.

Because, even though I didn't let it show, something about those crystals was making me very nervous.

(It's wrong, it's wrong, it's wrong, it's just wrong.)

My mind repeated that sentiment, even though I had no clue what exactly was the problem.

I eventually managed to tear myself away from what was going on down below and entered the door after turning the corner on the pathway. I could surmise what this room's purpose was the moment I saw it. Three windows to my left overlooking the workers. A large desk with a computer on it with a comfortable chair sitting behind it, along with several windows leading out behind that. A cupboard off to my right near the middle of the room and several filing cabinets.

"I think I've found the boss' room," I told Mitsuru, heading for the desk. "And look at that. A computer." I sat down and tried moving the mouse a little. The monitor flared to life, showing the desktop. So this group figured out a way to keep electronic devices powered in the Dark Hour.

That was strange, I felt. Why leave it on? Why not power it down until you needed it again? At the very least, they should have locked it behind a password so people couldn't get to it easily.

"Someone was here before me," I said out loud, voicing what I was thinking so Mitsuru knew what was going on. "Left in a hurry as well. They didn't touch anything else in the room, so they knew what they were looking for."

"Most fortunate for us. We would have been in trouble if that wasn't the case."

"True, but I can't help but suspect something... Senpai, where should I look?"

"They'll probably keep their important documents in a place where they could easily access it. After all, it's not like anyone else would use that computer. Try any folders you find on the desktop."

I scanned the desktop for any folder that stood out. There was one that caught my eye immediately. A folder that was named "Project Snow Fairy". I opened it up and started combing through the files.

One problem I immediately encountered was that the file names were just a bunch of random letters and numbers. It probably made sense to the people who were supposed to see them, but to me, it meant I had to access each document one by one to see if there was anything useful.

There was quite a bit of interesting stuff in there. At least, the stuff that I was able to open. A lot of it was encrypted, meaning that even though the juicier details were tucked away in those files, I wasn't able to get to them. A shame, really.

What I _did_ see was still interesting, though. And disturbing.

"...Senpai, you know those string of murders that happened over the last few months?"

"I'm going to guess that these people are involved with it?"

I shook my head with a dry, humourless chuckle.

"And you would be right. Someone called Airi is the one responsible. The interesting bit is that another member of the group, someone named Murasaki, opposed the plan and this message notes that it's 'not like her to speak up.'"

"It _is_ a rather extreme thing to do, so it makes sense if someone happened to disagree. The question is why do this?"

I scanned through the rest of the letter, hoping to find an answer to that. Nothing.

"Well, this letter won't provide any answer to that... I'm going to keep looking."

After coming across several encrypted files, I found a spreadsheet, detailing the exporting of the various crates. No information on what was stored, but I did find out where they were going. An exasperated look spread across my face.

"Ha..."

"What's wrong?"

"I just found out where they're shipping those crates. Care to take a guess where?"

"...The docks."

"Bingo. Nothing on what's being stored, but we know where they're headed at least."

"Anything on their purpose?"

"Nope. They're being very careful about where they store information. There's a ton of encrypted files on this that I won't get into without a passcode. The fact that I can access this at all is fortunate... and a little suspicious."

"Agreed. Copy the files to the flash drive and get out of there."

"Will do." I was already pulling the drive out of my pocket by the time the order was given. I plugged it in and copied the entire Project Snow Fairy folder over, the process taking less than ten seconds. I took the flash drive out and put it into my pocket once more. As I stood up, a faint noise caught my ear. The sound of footsteps on metal. Two pairs, if I had to guess. "Crap," I let out in a panic as I weighed my options.

The moment I spotted the cupboard again, I rushed towards it. It was big enough to fit me, thankfully—the only thing in here being a small collection of coats. I gently closed the doors, leaving just enough room for me to see out of. The office doors opened, and the two pairs of footsteps walked in.

They walked by me, letting me get a decent look. One of them was a woman with black hair tied up in a ponytail and blue eyes.

The other was a man with short brown hair and brown eyes, looking slightly younger than the woman he was following.

"Hmm? Was someone here? I don't remember leaving the computer on," the woman asked curiously with a slightly deep tone, the noise of her movement telling me that she sat down on the chair.

I forgot to close everything down. That was a blunder that I shouldn't have been able to recover from, but I got lucky when the man responded, saying something that caught my attention.

"Raziel was probably here again," he said, a lightish tone to his voice, in contrast to the woman. "He was here for a while handling that assignment."

(Raziel? The man we fought on the docks?)

I wondered what connection he had with this group of people, and what exactly his "assignment" was.

"What exactly is he looking for, I wonder?" the woman asked.

"Who knows? It might help if you actually gave him access to the encrypted files."

"And it would help if he actually told us what he wanted to know. Besides, the Queen doesn't trust him. And for good reason."

"If that dotard Gotou didn't interfere, he might have been able to finish the job. Though, given that _boy's_ interference, that probably wouldn't have happened regardless."

"The same boy that you and Murasaki failed to kill."

I saw a wry smile on the man's face as he raised his hands up slightly.

"Not our fault. The Queen herself ordered us to return, and we're not the kind to disobey orders."

"Hah! What a bald-faced lie... Still, what could she be thinking?"

"I've stopped trying to figure that out the moment she sentenced that girl to death. I didn't think she would be _that_ heartless."

"She's dedicated to the cause. As are we. I suggest you keep those kinds of thoughts to yourself in the future. Or what? Do you crave death that badly?"

"Not enough to anger her on purpose."

Silence for a few moments.

"...Let's go. It seems the latest batch has arrived."

I heard the sound of the woman getting off the chair. The two of them exited the office, closing the door behind them. I waited for about ten seconds before getting out.

I took a second to absorb everything I just heard before calling out to Mitsuru.

"Senpai, you heard all of that?"

"Loud and clear. I guess this definitively proves that the attack on the dorm and what's going on in the city are connected."

"Yeah, but we don't have the full picture." I walked over to the door. "I'm going to see what they're up to."

"Be careful. You're pushing your luck."

She was right. I'd gotten what we came here for, there was no reason to stick around any longer. Still, my curiosity compelled me to follow through with this.

"I've gotten this far, haven't I?"

I opened the door quietly and stepped out onto the pathway. There, I kept a low profile and watched the factory interior. The man and the woman who talked in the office were just arriving on that floor. I heard the loud slam of large doors being opened, and the heavy sound of something being dragged.

Eventually, the source of the noise came into sight. Two of those creatures were pulling a trolley, and on it... were five lifeless bodies. Three male, two female. They were slashed to ribbons, so badly that they were virtually unrecognizable as human beings.

Their faces... there was no such thing for these poor souls. Even if the police got to them first, they wouldn't have been able to identify the bodies. Clean, precise cuts across some of the bodies told me that those weren't just kills for the sake of a goal.

No, rather, it was the work of someone who truly enjoyed human pain and suffering. Revelled in it. I could imagine the terror on those people's faces as their killer closed in on them, with a satisfied grin on their face.

The thought almost made me explode in a fiery rage that moment, but I kept those emotions in check through force.

"Shit..." I let out quietly, angrily, as I gripped the handrail tightly. The only show of emotion I allowed myself.

"What's wrong?"

I breathed in, and then out, to calm down completely before I replied.

"...We're going to see five missing people on the news in a few days."

A heavy sigh came from Mitsuru. I didn't need to explain what I mean. I focused my attention on what was happening below, using the ring to amplify my hearing to hear what they were saying.

The man looked at the bodies, repulsed by the sight.

"To be honest, I find the whole thing to be ghastly. Is this truly the only option we have?"

The woman turned to face him, an annoyed look on her features.

"It's the best, and quickest, way to get what we need. Raziel assured us of this, and it's worked out so far."

Even if the woman said this, the man clearly still had his doubts.

"Even so, Airi's methods are... questionable, at the very least. And even if we gather this much, there's still the matter of Sophie. We still need her for⸻"

"We've already found a replacement. While Sophie would have been more ideal, it won't cause any delay. The Mirror will be completed in a matter of days, rest assured, and with plenty of raw material to spare."

My expression hardened as I realised what her words meant. If what I saw was spare materials, then that could only mean⸻

"We're too late," I said. "Whatever they're building, they're close to completing it."

"Without any idea where this 'Mirror' could be, there isn't much we can do. You have those files, so we have something to work with, at least."

Mitsuru was right, but that didn't make me feel any better. The bodies, those creatures, the crystals that left such a horrible feeling within me. Everything about this was abhorrent in my eyes.

"...Using a child in such a way is..." the man almost whispered, looking down at the ground.

The annoyed look on the woman's face actually cracked at this. For a moment, as she turned away, her expression became that of pained guilt. Though the man behind her didn't see this, I was able to see it clearly. It quickly returned to a still, stoic look, like a stone. It was like she killed whatever emotion was inside her at that moment.

"...The cause is worth any sacrifice. You agree, don't you, Mikazuki?" the woman asked. The man called Mikazuki lifted his head, staring at the back of the woman's head for a moment before responding.

"...Yes, Asuka." His expression became almost stone-like as well, and his voice even more so.

(...I should leave. I should leave right now.)

With that thought going through my head, I moved carefully to stand up and make my way back to the office. I wasn't careful enough. When I moved my foot slightly, I knocked over a stone that was resting near the edge. The moment I realised what I did, I realised that it was going to draw the attention of the person who was able to take shots at me and Yukari from across the city.

By the time I stood up and opened the door, the stone landed on the ground with a sharp crack.

"Who's there?!" I heard Mikazuki yell, but I got into the office before he was able to get a look at me. I ran to the window and opened it. If I just jumped straight out, they would be able to see me running. So instead, I climbed out, closing the window behind me and used the ring's power to cling to the wall just under the window ledge. It was large enough to conceal me, but if this failed, then I would have to fight my way out.

I heard the door slam open. They got up here very quick, I thought. It looked as though I made the right call in not wasting time. I had to assume that they could teleport like Raziel could. Noise like they were searching the room reached my ears, even through the closed window.

Eventually, I heard the window slide open. I stayed completely still. I even cut off all air to my lungs entirely to stop them from hearing my breathing. A few seconds passed before the one who opened the window turned around.

"I want this factory locked down, search every corner of this building, I want updates by the minute! Go!" Asuka yelled at whoever was in the room with her. Many footsteps scattered in all directions. The window closed, and I allowed myself to breathe again.

(That was close. Time to get out of here.)

Looking down to make sure there weren't any guards, I pushed off the wall and soared over the chainlink barrier. I slowed my descent using the ring until I gently hit the ground, landing on my feet. I took off running.

"Senpai, get the others back to the dorm. I'm on my way there now."

"Roger."

That could have gone a bit more smoothly, but I wasn't going to complain about the results. We found more than we could have hoped for at this point. Though a troubling thought crossed my mind. That Sophie was _very_ lucky that we came along and saved her.

I couldn't help but think that she was destined for a terrible end.

※※※※※

The trip back to the dorm was long, as I took a longer route back to shake off anyone that might have spotted me. Thankfully, no one was following me. The Dark Hour ended by the time I closed in on the dorm, which I found rather strange. I wasn't keeping track of the time, but it definitely didn't feel like an hour had gone by.

I chalked it up to losing track of time while I was in the factory and focused on getting back to the dorm safely. A few minutes later, the dorm came into sight. I was never more happy to see a building in my life. I quickly got to the door and entered the dorm, closing it behind me just as quickly.

"You're back!"

I turned at Yukari's voice, seeing that everyone was in the front hall waiting for me. They all sported a relieved look when they saw me. One person in particular charged at me, nearly knocking me over as their tiny arms wrapped around my waist.

"Ahh?! S-Sophie!" I let out in surprise as the golden-eyed girl hugged me.

"Do you know how worried I was?! You should have gotten out of there when you got the files, idiot! Stupid! Stupid idiot!" she yelled, looking up at me with an angry, yet sad expression.

"Uh... um... I..." I didn't know how to respond to this. I looked to the others with a silent plea for help. They simply gave me looks that said "Your responsibility. You're on your own."

I sighed and kneeled down so I was eye-level with Sophie.

"Sorry for scaring you," I said sincerely. "I'll be more careful next time."

"...What happened there was how I got caught," Sophie explained, looking down at the ground. "When I heard that sound, I thought the same was going to happen to you."

Scary coincidence that was. I chuckled and shook my head in response.

"Well, it's a good thing it didn't, eh? Don't want history repeating itself."

Once I got free of Sophie's grip, I dug through my pockets and pulled out the flash drive.

"Here." I threw it to Mitsuru, who caught it with ease. "Hope you can do something with it."

"I'll send it over to the Kirijo Group and tell the high-level guys to start digging through it. Perhaps they can crack the encryption."

"Here's hoping."

Mitsuru turned and made her way to the stairs. Probably headed up to the command room. That left myself, Sophie, Junpei, Yukari, and Akihiko in the front hall. I walked over to the empty couch and dropped myself onto it. After that experience, I was happy to have the chance to rest, and I let the exhaustion I felt show through a heavy sigh.

"What did you see in there, Tomomi?" Akihiko asked, leaning forward in his seat.

"Well, Sophie was right," I told him simply. "Creatures—not Shadows—were working on something in the factory. Manufacturing glowing, ice-like crystals and shipping them off to the docks where Sophie was being held. All to do with something called 'Project Snow Fairy'. And..."

I hesitated in continuing. I recalled the sight of those bodies, torn apart by another human being. I eventually gathered the nerve to continue after seeing the others patiently waiting for me to continue.

"You remember those string of murders you told me about, Junpei?" I asked Junpei, who nodded in response. "I know the name of the one responsible. And I've seen more of their handiwork. Don't be surprised if you happen see news of five people going missing in a few days."

A similar reaction to Mitsuru's when I told her this. There wasn't any need to explain what I meant by that, as they understood full well what that could only mean.

I avoided talking about what I suspected they were planning to do with Sophie. Mostly to avoid scaring her, but also because if what I suspected was true, then it was far too late to help the one they got as a "replacement."

"Mitsuru said that we're too late to stop whatever they're up to right now," Akihiko said. "If we were only faster⸻"

I interrupted him right there. There was nothing for us to feel sorry about or have regrets over. The reason why was very simple.

"We covered every base we had to. And we did this as fast as we possibly could. There's nothing more we could have done, so let's not worry ourselves too much with what ifs. We just have to keep up with them the best we can."

And really, that was all we were able to do at that point. We pulled together a mission based on information gotten the very same day, and we were lucky we were able to get our hands on what we did. For our peace of mind, more than anything, we had to take our victories where we could.

"...Speaking of," I mumbled before turning to Yukari. "Did you actually find anything the last time we were at the docks?"

Yukari took a moment to think, looking off to the side. She shook her head.

"No. Nothing really out of the ordinary from what I was able to see."

(Thought so.)

Given what I saw, it would make sense that the people running the day-to-day stuff there had no clue what was happening under their noses.

I nodded before closing my eyes. I needed a few seconds to collect my thoughts on everything that had occurred that night, as it was a lot to take in. I didn't get very far with that.

"Hey, at least get to your bed if you're going to fall asleep," Sophie said, shaking my body by pulling back and forth on my arm, making sure that I was still awake. Everyone else laughed heartily at that.

"I'm not surprised you're exhausted after all of that," Akihiko said, standing up. "Go get some rest, Tomomi. You deserve it."

Akihiko made his leave, heading towards the stairs. At the mention of sleep, I realised something.

"...Oh, yeah..." I was so preoccupied with the mission, I completely overlooked something else that was important. "Where's Sophie going to sleep?"

Junpei and Yukari looked at each other, and then at me, with a puzzled expression. I think that question never really crossed their minds either until now.

"Well, there's plenty of rooms up on the girl's floor," Yukari said. "I think Mitsuru-senpai won't mind if we give one of them to her." She looked towards the young girl. "Come on. Follow me."

Sophie looked at me with worry. I silently told her that I would be okay, and to go along with Yukari. After a second, Sophie followed Yukari up the stairs and out of our sight.

That left only Junpei and myself. Junpei shifted in his seat so he was closer to where I was.

"Hell of a night, huh?" he asked light-heartedly. I let out a small chuckle.

"Yeah, it was... Junpei, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, go ahead."

"...Why did you join SEES to begin with?"

It was a reasonable question to ask, I felt. We were neck deep in a situation that would quickly become very dangerous. I wanted to know the reason why he was willing to risk his own neck for something that, by all rights, shouldn't have been his problem.

Junpei was taken aback by this question, pausing to think on it for a while. Perhaps he didn't really think about the reason until that moment. Whatever the case may have been, I patiently waited for a response.

"...I saw that something weird was going on in the city, and I wanted to help fight it," he told me. That was reasonable, but I got the sense that he wasn't being entirely forthcoming.

"Is that really the only reason?"

"Yeah, dude, it is!"

(...A little too quick to deny that.)

I realised, however, that I probably wasn't going to get anything else from him at the moment. So I gave up, shrugging my shoulders.

"Alright," I said tiredly before standing up. "See you tomorrow?"

"Yeah, good night."

With that, that eventful night came to an end. We discovered a lot, but we also came away with more than a few questions. Questions that I knew wouldn't be answered for a long time.

...Even though I didn't want to admit it, a part of me _didn't_ want to know what the truth was. Something deep in my soul was telling me to stay away. I didn't know where this burst of cowardice came from, but I killed that part of myself while I slept. There was only one thing I needed to do: complete the mission that was given to me.

That's what I thought.

That was what I believed.

* * *

【Author's Note】

Whew, that was quite the beefy chapter, wasn't it? Next time will be a little lighter, I promise.

In the original Spring of Hope, there was quite a lot of "downtime chapters". Chapters where there wasn't a lot of action, and sometimes the broader story wasn't the main focus, it was the characters and their relationships. Sometimes it was serious and sometimes it was goofy.

At times, you just need a break from death, doom, and destruction. The next few chapters should be just that. A little palate cleanser, with some story bits, before the explosive finale of this arc, which should happen around Chapter 10.

As an aside, it was my birthday on the 14th. Yeah, I know, my birthday's on Valentine's Day. I wanted to take a break in the lead-up to it so I could enjoy myself, so that's why updates have been sporadic. Can't guarantee that something like this won't happen again, but I want to get more regular content out to you guys and gals. At the very least, I want to get this arc done by the end of the month. Chapter 7 will (probably) be shorter than this Chapter, so that'll make it easier.

Even as I say that, I still have a little surprise in store, so look forward to that. See you next time!

◆ _Next Time – Chapter 7: Shapeless Days (I)_ ◆


	8. Shapeless Days (I)

■ _**Chapter 7: Shapeless Days (I)**_

The bell rang as many of my classmates rushed out the door to head to the cafeteria. I reached down to my bag and brought out a plastic box that I had prepared that morning after waking up early.

(Can't believe it's only lunch time...)

The day was going by so slowly. Not helping matters were my thoughts getting bogged down by what happened a few nights back. I shook my head.

(I should really stop thinking about it. We've done all we can for now...)

To stop myself from thinking about what I saw, I turned my focus to something equally as important, and yet still connected to it all.

Sophie seemed to be in higher spirits when she saw me off that morning, saying "See you tonight" with a cheerful smile. I think she was starting to get used to the fact that the days were longer and time moved in a linear fashion.

And I was starting to get used to her presence, too. The fact that she was a Shadow didn't cross my mind as much. To me, she was just a little girl who was the prisoner of something rather frightening. A girl who I saved from the terrible fate that awaited her.

I put all of that to one side for the moment. There was something I needed to figure out. If her presence was indeed going to become normal, which I suspected it would be, then there was an issue that needed to be resolved... That dress of hers. That old, tattered dress.

I wanted to get her some new clothes, but I wasn't sure how to bring the subject up to her. I thought that it would be weird to just suddenly say to her, "Hey, let's go shopping for clothes." And I needed measurements for dresses, shirts, trousers, shoes, and the like.

I was overthinking things. Clearly, I was overthinking the situation and making it more complicated than it needed to be. I had never really been in a situation like this before. And when I thought about the fact that I needed to take care of her, I could see that I would be struggling for a while.

"Hey."

I was suddenly brought out of my thoughts by someone's voice. I shook my head and looked. A familiar looking male who I ran into outside the school gates a few days ago.

"Tomochika-san? Is something wrong?" I asked, not sure if that was the right question to ask. And I think that showed with the mumbled way I talked to him.

"I could ask the same thing," he replied, sitting down in the chair in front of me. "You doing alright? You seem to be thinking quite a lot."

I was silent for a moment. I thought that perhaps someone who had an outside perspective could help me make this clear. So, after clearing my throat, I spoke.

"You mind if I ask you something?"

"Sure, go ahead."

"...Through a series of strange circumstances, I've ended up having to take care of someone," I explained vaguely, but he seemed to get the general point.

"Like, a kid?" he asked curiously. I nodded. "How old?"

"Roughly... I want to say... Eight years old."

That was a generous estimation based on how she looked. Considering that she's not human however, I had no real way of knowing what her actual age was. She could have been three years old, two years old, hell, even six months old was a legitimate possibility.

"And how did this even happen?" Kenji asked next, leaning forward. He seemed incredibly interested in what I had to say now.

"...I found her, living all alone in a place where no one would have been able to find her. It was pure chance that we met... I couldn't just leave her there. My conscience wouldn't allow me to."

Kenji chuckled a little at that, shaking his head.

"You're one of _those_ people," he said. I tilted my head a little in confusion, asking him what he meant by that. "You're the kind of person who can't ignore people when they're suffering. You'd rather take on their burdens than see them get hurt. And the result is the kind of expression you have on your face right now. The kind that makes people like me wonder what's going on."

I didn't really think of it until that moment. I guess I _was_ that kind of person, after all. It made sense to me, so Kenji was probably correct when he said that. I was surprised, really. I didn't expect that out of him. He didn't seem like the kind of character to just say something like that... Even so⸻

"That sounds more like being nosy and being unable to keep out of other people's business."

Kenji laughed at my almost off-hand remark.

"Perhaps you're right, but even so, it's hard not to wonder. And it's not like you're refusing to tell anyone."

"...That's true, I suppose... I guess what I want to ask is..." I stopped myself once I realised that what I was wondering about earlier _wasn't_ the question I was asking myself. All that about getting Sophie clothes was just a small part of the ultimate question. I sighed once I accepted it and spoke again, "Do you think I'll be able to take care of her?"

"Ahh... That's not an easy question to answer." Kenji nodded solemnly, closing his eyes in thought. "I mean, we're both in high school. Looking after kids should be the _last_ thing on our minds, and yet you took on this burden willingly... I think the fact that you're asking yourself this is a good sign."

"Eh?" I let out. Confused, I looked to him for an explanation why. Kenji opened his eyes and spoke with a serious expression.

"It shows that you've giving this the time and attention it deserves. I don't know you very well, but you told me this without thinking about that. For what's it worth, I think you're the right kind of person to do something like this, and... you won't really know until you try."

I sat in silence for a good while. I couldn't believe this was the same guy who got caught goofing off and was being forced to buy a cake for Miss Toriumi. I couldn't help but let out a chuckle.

"I guess you're right," I said with a smile. "I won't know if I'm cut out for this until I give it a shot."

"That's the spirit. Now!" He suddenly stood up. "Enough of this gloomy stuff. I know a good ramen place at the station, you want to come along after school?"

"After school?" I asked in return. "What about the curfew?"

"As long as we make it home by six, it shouldn't be a problem. So? You in?"

I didn't have any reason to refuse, and I was sure Sophie could take care of herself until I returned. So, I nodded.

"Sure."

※※※※※

Hagakure was a rather quiet place. Small and warm, though that could be due to the constant cooking going on behind the counter. Even though it was small, the ramen they produced was of very high quality. As soon as I got halfway through my first bowl, I could see why Kenji was raving about it as we made our way there.

Though while I was a rather slow and quiet eater, Kenji was... not.

I could hear him slurping away at the food in front of him. He finished the last of the ramen quickly and set the bowl down, leaning back a little and patting his stomach.

"Whew! That's what I'm talkin' about!" he said as I took a small break from eating. He turned to look at me. "Well? Was I right, or was I right?"

"Yeah, you were," I admitted, almost begrudgingly. "This is really good. Although... I didn't expect them to have _that_ kind of ingredient."

I fought the urge to smile when I saw Kenji's confused expression.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"You couldn't taste it? ...Probably for the best if you can't tell."

The moment he started eyeing his bowl with suspicion was the moment I couldn't keep up the facade any longer. I cracked, a chuckle managed to sound out through my closed smile and that's what clued him in on my attempted deception.

"Man, you had me going there for a moment," he said with a laugh. "Junpei told me that it's difficult to tell if you're joking or not, but I suppose that's an exaggeration."

"Trust me, if I didn't want you to know, you wouldn't."

"Oh? That's a bold claim. Still, I wonder what exactly they use? It's probably some sort of secret spice or..." He probably realised that he was about to go into a tangent and stopped himself. "Sorry, I get all geeked up when I come here."

"Geeked up over ramen?" I had to ask before I shrugged my shoulders. "Well, it's not the worst thing to get geeky over. You want one more? I'll foot the bill."

"Seriously?! I'll take you up on that, then."

We continued to eat, our conversations going into wildly different topics. He was the one doing most of the talking, with me giving very short answers. Eventually, the topic turned to one particular member of our class.

"So, I heard that you and Yukari are rather close," Kenji said. "Damn, boy, you move fast! I mean, you just transferred here."

"I think there's a fundamental misunderstanding here," I replied, taking a drink out of the can of cola beside me. "I wouldn't say that we're _that_ close. We only met a few weeks ago."

"Yet, Junpei tells me that she's on a first name basis with you."

"Yeah, that confuses me a little." I scratched my nose with my finger as I said that. "Still, if she's comfortable enough to call me by my first name, I'm not going to stop her. Won't exactly change my opinion of her."

"...You're truly not interested, are you?" Kenji asked. I shook my head.

"Nah. How can I put it...?" I tapped the table with my finger a few times, trying to think of an appropriate analogy, but I couldn't come up with anything. "I don't know the right words to describe it, but it would just be weird to me."

"...I thought you were strange before, but that just confirms it."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Kenji laughed, though I wasn't really sure what he was laughing at. All I knew was that it was at my expense.

"Hey, let's hang out after school again sometime," he told me. "We'll get some food and I'll tell you about my secret plan. Wait 'till you hear it, dude. You're gonna flip!"

(It's something completely ridiculous. I can tell, and yet I can't help but be curious what he's got up his sleeve.)

Whether I was curious to see what the plan actually was or curious as to how it was going to crash and burn, I wasn't quite sure.

I looked at the clock hanging on the wall and saw that it was close to five.

"I should really get back," I said. "Sophie's waiting for me."

"Sophie?" Kenji asked. "Is that the name of the kid you're looking after?"

I nodded.

"Strange name."

"I don't have any right to complain. Besides, I like it."

We both paid for our meals and left Hagakure with full stomachs.

※※※※※

"Welcome back," Mitsuru greeted me as I entered the dorm. "You've been gone for a while."

"I was with someone, eating ramen," I explained quickly before looking around. "Have you seen Sophie around?"

"Last I saw her, she was up in her room."

"Hmm..."

"Is something wrong?" she asked, putting the book she was reading down on the table.

"A-Ah, it's nothing. I was just thinking about what kind of clothes to get her. I mean, she's been wearing that filthy tattered dress for a while, so I thought..."

"I see." Mitsuru nodded in understanding. "Well, I do know a clothing store nearby that could help her out. We could get measurements, shoe sizes, everything we need. We could go there tomorrow if she's up to it."

...And just when I was beginning to think I would have had to go through a ton of hoops, here comes Mitsuru Kirijo to save the day. It was rather easy for me to forget that she was the richest person I knew. If she was willing to help me out, that would save me quite a lot of time. Not to mention money. Out of my extreme gratitude, I bowed.

"Thank you so much, Senpai," I told her. She laughed a little.

"Come on, there's no need for you to do that. I was thinking on the matter myself actually. I kept seeing her ruined dress last night and thought we needed to get her something to wear besides that. The fact that you were thinking about it too was just a fortunate coincidence."

I stood back up straight and adjusted the bag that was slung over my shoulder.

"I should go tell Sophie," I said before quickly making my way to the staircase. I wasn't in any particular hurry, but I just felt that it would be good to get this done as soon as soon as I could... No, that wasn't it. I just simply wanted to see her.

It just didn't feel like I'd returned until I heard her welcome me back. It was strange, I know. But human emotions were already strange, so I didn't try to make sense of it at the time.

Heading up to the girl's floor, I walked down the hall to the room Yukari told me Sophie was staying in. I raised my hand for a moment before pausing. A second went by before I gathered the nerve to knock on her door.

"Who is it?" I heard Sophie ask. It sounded like she was far from the door, going by the quietness of her muffled voice.

"It's me," I replied. Immediately, I heard the sound of her rushing to the door, unlocking it, and pulling it back with the kind of force you'd expect to be able to pull the door off its hinges.

"Welcome home!" she told me with a cheerful smile and bright eyes. There was hardly any trace of the Sophie I met at the docks. In front of me was simply a young girl who I saved. Someone who I now had the responsibility of looking after.

It was a burden that I was more than willing to carry.

I smiled back.

"Yeah... It's good to be back."

※※※※※

The following day, Mitsuru and I took Sophie to the clothing store that she mentioned. I realised as we were making our way there that this was really the first chance Sophie had gotten to explore the city during the day. Indeed, her expression certainly gave that impression. A wide-eyed look of wonder that forced me to take her hand to make sure she didn't accidentally step onto the road.

She didn't seem to mind this and stayed close to me the entire trip.

We got her measurements taken—unsurprisingly, she was a little skinny—and let her roam about, choosing whatever caught her eye. As she did so, Mitsuru walked up to me.

"You seem to have taken to this rather well," she said.

"What do you mean?" I asked, turning my head to look at her.

"Looking after Sophie. You've taken quite a liking to her, haven't you?"

"...And you would be right," I admitted after a second. "That, and I was the one who took her hand. I was the one who brought her back. So it's only natural that I would take responsibility for her."

Mitsuru stared at me for a moment before turning to look at Sophie, who was examining some of the dresses they had on offer.

"...What made you help her out?" she asked curiously. "Was it out of a sense of justice, or was it something else entirely?"

I ran a hand through my hair as I thought on it. The reason why I helped Sophie... that wasn't an easy question for me to answer back then. Mostly because of one reason.

"...I didn't really have a reason," I said. "I just felt like I had to help her, that's all. I couldn't explain it even if I wanted to."

"...I see."

The conversation petered out as we brought our attention to Sophie. After a half-hour or so of Sophie picking out clothes and shoes, the three of us left with a fairly large collection of dresses, t-shirts, trousers, and shoes. Sophie carried a bag with the dresses she particularly liked, while Mitsuru and I carried the rest.

The cost came out of Mitsuru's pocket. I had intended on paying for it myself once I got the money together, so I apologised as we were walking.

"For what?" Mitsuru asked with a confused look.

"I was going to try and handle this myself. Admittedly, it would have taken me a while, but I would have felt a lot better if I could have done it without any help."

"Nonsense," she replied immediately. "There's nothing to apologise for. Besides, like I told you yesterday, I was thinking of doing this for her anyway. The fact that you were having similar thoughts was fortunate... Are you feeling well, Tomomi?"

"Yeah, I'm okay," I told her. "Why do you ask?"

"It's just... I just don't know what you're thinking. After what happened at the factory and what you saw, I wanted to make sure that you're fine."

"Well, as you can see, I'm doing okay. Any progress on those files?"

"None, unfortunately. They encountered a pretty tough roadblock early on. The passcodes on the encryption are written in a language that doesn't exist on this planet."

"Huh?" That got my full attention. I turned to look and saw very quickly that she was being serious about this. "How can you be certain of that?"

"They ran decryption programs using every language possible. English, Japanese, French, German, you name it. When I checked in, they were even trying Sumerian words, which I had to verify was correct before they could even attempt it."

"I see..." I realised then that there was something unusual about what she said. "Wait, you can read Sumerian?"

Mitsuru shrugged her shoulders, like knowing a very old language wasn't that strange to her.

"Wanted to read Gilgamesh."

(...Good a reason as any to learn a language, I suppose.)

I accepted that as is, shrugging my shoulders, before returning to the conversation.

"If your boys can't crack it, then we'll just have to leave it alone for the time being... I don't want to give up on this, but we might have bigger things to be worried about very soon."

"Agreed. We have the files, so we can come back to them if we have a lead. Let's work with what we _do_ have."

"The docks..." My sight lingered on Sophie, watching as she happily bounced down the street. Completely unaware of the topic of our conversation. "She was extremely lucky that we found her when we did."

"...Yes, she was," Mitsuru said. There wasn't any need to keep things from her. She heard everything Asuka and Mikazuki said, just as I did. She knew that Raziel was sent to kill Sophie, as part of whatever plan this group had.

"Gotou's presence is going to be a problem," I said, moving my arms slightly. "We'll have to be ready to take him down the next time we go there."

"I knew it would eventually come to this... What exactly are we about to walk into, Tomomi?"

I couldn't help but laugh slightly. Not too loud, but loud enough for her to hear.

"I honestly don't know. I do know this, however." I nodded my head towards Sophie. "That girl is going to need our help... If I'm walking in there with any sort of plan, it's making sure that they won't be able to harm Sophie any more."

The conversation ended there. Mitsuru and I walked in silence, watching the girl in front of us. I wondered if we were thinking the same thing. I wasn't sure, but I knew that we were in agreement on one thing.

"...These bags are heavy," I said with a neutral tone.

"Yes, they are," Mitsuru replied with a similar tone.

We glanced at each other for a moment before laughing. It was such a normal thing, that it was easy for me to forget that the girl in front of me wasn't human.

As soon as the thought that I was being foolish for thinking that I could care for a creature like her entered my mind, I killed it. I killed that thought so quickly it didn't even register to me.

What lied in front of me... It was a difficult path to be sure, but it was the path I wished to travel. It's only human to make decisions that others would call foolish, after all.

* * *

【Author's Note】

Hey, I told you it'd be shorter than the last chapter. Still, I was expecting it to be about 1000 words less than this. I seem fully incapable of writing chapters below 2000 words nowadays. Is this a curse? It has to be a curse.

I'm beginning to think that having this arc done by the end of the month might be a bit unrealistic. I'm going to give it a good try, though, and I do have something which I hope will make up for it. It's been in the pipeline for a while, and I recently got the all clear, so it should be going up soon.

Anyway, a calm chapter for you all. Not much action, but there is some story. I hope you're paying attention. Some things mentioned here might come back up again later. That warning could also apply to the earlier chapters as well, to be perfectly honest.

Next time, some more character stuff.

◆ _Next Time – Chapter 8: Shapeless Days (II)_ ◆


	9. Shapeless Days (II)

■ _**Chapter 8: Shapeless Days (II)**_

"So, Kazuto-san, how are you feeling about Gekkoukan now that you've spent some time here?"

Miss Toriumi's question grabbed my attention as I packed my bag. The bell had just rung, signalling the end of the school day.

"It's been fine so far," I told her, stopping what I was doing and placing my focus on her. "A few bumps in the road, but nothing I wasn't able to handle."

"That's good," she said with a smile. "There's something I want to ask you. Have you had the chance to check out any of the clubs here?"

I shook my head.

"No. I haven't had the time to. I've had my hands full just getting used to Iwatodai. It's a lot different than I thought it would be."

"I can imagine. You came from outside the city, didn't you?"

I scratched my cheek lightly with my finger as I responded, "Yeah. I was told I used to live here, but I can't really remember."

Miss Toriumi looked down in thought for a moment before raising her eyes to look at me once more.

"I hope you find your footing here soon. To help with that, I think it would be a good idea to join a club or a committee. It'll let you interact with your fellow students and it might be a valuable experience for you."

I pondered this for a minute. I didn't want to join too many clubs, as that would cut into my time back at the dorm as well as possible time investigating the Dark Hour. However, something that I enjoy doing and didn't require too much commitment on my part wouldn't be a bad idea at all.

I nodded my head.

"Alright. What's on offer?"

※※※※※

When I asked a student on the first floor where the library was, I was directed to the corridor where the teacher's lounge was. At the far end of the corridor, opposite the nurse's office, I found the library.

Yup, in hindsight, there was nothing else I would have gone for. I didn't like sports, and art and music weren't my forte. Instead, I chose to become a member of the Library Committee.

I entered the door, muttering a small "excuse me" under my breath. The library itself was rather sizable, which surprised me. I expected it to be a small-ish room with books lining every wall, but no, it was actually quite big. I was rather impressed with it.

A group of girls and one of the teachers—most likely the supervisor—were standing near one of the large oval tables. They quickly noticed me.

The supervisor was Miss Ounishi, a science teacher. I hadn't had too many chances to interact with her, what with the chaos of my first few weeks cutting into school time massively, but I had seen her a few times.

"Ah, Tomomi," she said. "Miss Toriumi told me that you'd be coming." She turned to face everyone else. "Everyone, I'd like to introduce you to Kazuto Tomomi, from Class 2-F. He'll be joining the Library Committee." She turned back to me. "If there's anything you don't understand... Oh, let's see..." She looked around for a moment before her eyes locked on one student in particular. "Hasegawa!"

I followed her sight and saw who she was looking at. Her appearance immediately stuck out to me, and I wondered why I didn't notice her as I was walking towards the group. A more mature looking student, with curly, dark-grey hair, grey eyes, and fair skin.

(She looks quite different from the others.)

"Yes, ma'am?" the mature student asked.

"You're on duty today, right? Teach him how to get around here. Well then, I'll leave the rest to you."

"Understood," the mature student replied as Miss Ounishi made her exit. She turned to look at me. "Well, then... could you come over so I can explain?"

"Sure," I said and made my way over, but the other members—all girls, I must point out—had something to say before that.

"U-Um, Saori-san? Excuse me, but we, um..." one of the students began to say but trailed off. The mature student seemed to understand what they were getting at.

"Oh... I'm sorry, I didn't notice. Please feel free to go home. I'll take care of the rest for today."

"We're really sorry. See you later..."

The other members left the room, leaving only me and the mature student. I watched as the students left. They seemed somewhat eager to get out of the room, though I couldn't tell why. Misreading the reason why I was watching them, the mature student spoke up.

"Oh, please don't think that the others aren't welcoming you to the club. They're all just very busy..." She shifted her feet before continuing. "Um... Let's see, where should I start explaining things to you...? Oh, I'm sorry. I haven't even introduced myself yet. I'm Saori Hasegawa."

"Pleased to meet you," I told her with a slight bow of the head. She giggled at this unnatural formality.

"There's no need to be so formal," she said. "I'm a junior, just like you. You don't have to be so polite to me."

I winced slightly. I didn't realise how odd that looked until she pointed it out. I rubbed the back of my neck as I looked off to the side.

"Sorry, it's in my nature," I said. "I'll try not to do that."

"...Thank you," she responded, looking relieved. "I'm glad to hear that. I'm actually two years older than you. I studied abroad, and took some time off from school. I'm the oldest student in the school right now... That's why the upperclassmen all speak politely to me. I really wish they'd stop, but I've pretty much given up on it... Still, considering that we've just met, it'd be nice if you didn't feel you had to be like that around me... Could you just try?"

"Sure, no problem."

I didn't see any issue in following such an innocuous request. I could imagine that she would feel like a fish out of water, given her circumstances. I could relate, being a student with no memory of who he was. So, it was easy for me to agree to what she asked.

"...I'm glad to hear that," she said with a soft smile.

"Although, I'm not even sure of my own age," I told her, somewhat jokingly. "For all I know, I could be older than you."

That got a good giggle out of her.

"You certainly don't seem like it... Is it really true? You don't know who you are?"

I nodded affirmatively.

"Yeah. As I'm sure you've heard, the name I gave to everyone was chosen at random. I don't know what my real name is."

"Do you find it difficult? I can't imagine what it must be like."

I shrugged my shoulders.

"I can't really complain. It's not something that troubles me too much. Like I told Takeba—if it doesn't bother me, it shouldn't bother anyone else. So this topic isn't really worth discussing I feel... Besides..." I smiled. "I think you still have to explain what it is we do here."

"Oh, I'm sorry," she responded once she realised we were getting off track. "We meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but we do get a couple of days off before exams. First, let's go over how to check books out. Each book has a barcode on the back cover, so..."

I spent some time with Saori as she taught me everything that was part of the duty of a member of the library committee. In rather exhaustive detail as well. As she took me on a tour of the various sections of the library, my mind began to wander.

My thoughts trailed to many random things. Like how I managed to burn my toast that morning, or how weird the mascot of Wild-Duck Burger was. Eventually, my mind focused on someone who was waiting back at the dorm.

(Sophie...)

I couldn't put it off for much longer. I was more than willing to wait until the Kirijo Group pulled something from the files I got at the factory, but since that ultimately led nowhere, the only thing we could do now was follow the trail we found.

(And that means going back to the docks.)

There wasn't any choice in the matter. We would have had to go back and face Gotou eventually. His presence would have been an ever-present cloud blocking our path until it was eliminated.

I had to admit, I was looking forward to it. Over the past few days, this battle went from an obligation to something I would gladly jump into. I had a score to settle with that thing.

(...Why am I so determined to protect her? To care for her?)

Ever since the conversation I had with Mitsuru, I had been thinking on those questions. I would continue looking after Sophie without any qualms, of course, but I knew that it would bug me if I couldn't answer that question.

Could I really move forward without knowing for certain why I helped Sophie out that day? Probably. It would be a continuous thorn in my thoughts, however. Something that could make my mind come to a screeching halt.

"Tomomi-san?"

Saori's voice brought me back to reality. She must have noticed that I was spacing out.

"Is something the matter? You seem to be lost in thought."

"Was just thinking about someone who's waiting back at the dorm," I said, "that's all."

"Someone special to you?" she asked curiously.

"...Yes, you could say that."

"Is it Takeba-san? I heard that you two are rather close."

"Not sure where you heard _that_ from." I pulled out a book at random. It turned out to be one of William Blake's books. I skimmed through it for a second, recalling that I read quite a lot of his works before I came to Iwatodai. I was surprised briefly how I didn't remember that until now. "I wouldn't say we're that close."

"Then who is it, if not her?"

"...A little girl named Sophie," I told her. "How we met is quite the long tale but to sum it up, I've ended up as her guardian of sorts."

"You're taking care of a child?" she asked, as if in disbelief. I nodded. "How old?"

"I haven't asked yet, but I think she's roughly eight years old."

"Wh-What about her parents?"

"She hasn't mentioned any. Though, given the circumstances I found her in, they're probably..."

I trailed off as a sudden thought struck me. Did Shadows even _have_ parents? Where exactly did they come from? Questions for another time. Saori had gotten the wrong impression from my silence, believing that I trailed off because I didn't want to finish the sentence.

"Oh..." She looked down at the ground, saddened by whatever thought crossed her mind. "And you decided to take her in because you felt sorry for her?"

Again, the question of why was asked. Though this question was more direct and specific than Mitsuru's was. It was something that I could somewhat respond to.

I mulled on it for a while. Yes, I did feel sorry for her. Nobody should have had to exist in such a state and that did drive me to help her out. However... I felt there was more to it than that. Unsure of what, I responded.

"...Partly. Kenji told me the other day that I was the kind of person who couldn't ignore people who're suffering. He's right about that. I don't really know much about myself, but I do know that it's in my nature to help others... I knew I wouldn't forgive myself if I had left her all alone."

A premonition told me that my actions that night would lead to an unexpected outcome. The consequences far-reaching and unpredictable. I didn't know what I would face in the future, and the thought of what I might find troubled me somewhat.

But that was an issue for the future. My present goal of protecting Sophie was what I should be focusing on. With any luck, everything else would just slide into place.

Saori sighed after a moment of thought.

"You've been here barely a month; you don't know your own name, how old you are, and yet you've had such an interesting time."

That was putting it mildly. Looking down at the book still in my hands, I remembered a quote from one of Blake's works that was pretty apt for the conversation.

"'I have no name. I am but two days old.'" I smiled. "Wonder how many people here would get that reference?"

Saori giggled, raising her hand to her mouth.

"Not many, I feel."

Saori and I continued chatting until it was time for the two of us to go home.

※※※※※

I managed to get back to the dorm by the time evening came. I didn't get to relax for long, for as soon as I entered, Junpei rushed over to me, holding the TV remote in his hand.

"Dude, you have to come see this," he said. The hurried tone of his caught my attention.

"What's going on?" I asked, closing the door behind me.

"The bodies you saw in the factory. The police just found them, it's on the news."

I walked over to the TV as Junpei turned up the volume.

"⸻at Port Island Station. The police have released footage of the scene, with witnesses at the scene referring to it as a 'senseless massacre.' Police have also revealed that a note was left by the presumed culprit of these horrific attacks."

A picture of the scene in question popped up as the news reporter talked. The note in question was stuck to one of the bodies, held to it by a small knife.

It said "I know you were there. Come and get me if you can."

"What this could possibly mean, we have no idea at this point. However⸻"

A wider shot of the five bodies I saw, still brutally disfigured and maimed and were just tossed haphazardly into an alleyway at Port Island Station, appeared on-screen. What sent a chill down my spine was not the bodies, but rather the "message" that was sent with them.

"They knew I was there..." I said. I stared at the TV for a moment before I turned to Junpei. "They knew I was at the factory. Was it a trap?"

"No idea," Junpei replied. "You were damn lucky you didn't fall into it if it was. There is one thing that's for certain, though."

"Yeah... _Someone_ knew that we were going to be at the factory. And if they knew, then..."

They might have known every move we were going to make. The amount of time we had to relax just got drastically shortened. If we were running against a clock, I didn't want to run it out.

"Then I can't wait any longer."

I walked towards the staircase with purpose. As I walked, I called out to Junpei, "When the rest of SEES gets back, tell them we're having a meeting tonight."

"Where're you going?!"

"To talk to Sophie."

I hurried to Sophie's room. Once there, I knocked quickly. It only took a few seconds for her to answer.

"Kazuto! Welcome home," she said sweetly, looking happy to see me and was unaware of what I just learned. "What can I do for you?"

"I need to talk to you," I said with a serious air about me. Her expression quickly changed into a neutral stare. "Can I come in?"

She stepped aside and allowed me to enter. The room Mitsuru had given her was rather devoid of personality. Sophie hadn't had much of a chance to make the room her own. The clothes we had bought for her were still in their bags, sitting on her bed.

"I know you probably don't want to think about it," I said as soon as we sat down on the bed, "but is there anything about your time at the docks you found odd? Any idea what they were doing there?"

She looked down at her lap in thought for a few seconds before shaking her head.

"No. I was always kept inside of that container. Although I always heard sounds of things being moved in and out, I never saw what they were bringing in. The only time I was let out was when Gotou wanted to 'play'."

The disgust in her voice when she uttered that last word gave me a pretty good idea what she meant by that. A game of cat and mouse, hunter versus hunted.

"The night we met was when that man, Raziel, showed up. Gotou was in the mood to have me run around the docks while he chased me for his own amusement. I guess he didn't get the memo that Raziel was there to kill me."

"So it was pure luck that I found you first."

"Yes."

I couldn't help but chuckle dryly. If I had gotten there a minute later, things could have been completely different. Sophie wouldn't be sitting beside me, and my encounter with Raziel could have ended with blood being spilled.

"I can't help but wonder what you were thinking when you saw me."

"Something along the lines of 'Please don't kill me. I don't want to die.'" she admitted, gripping the hem of her dress. "I was so scared... but then I realised that you were really there to help me. Even though you had no reason to."

"...You're wrong. I did have a reason." She looked confused for a moment. I nodded my head with my eyes closed. "Yes, indeed. There was a reason why I saved you that day."

"What is it?" she asked curiously.

I stayed silent for a good moment before responding, one eye open and with a cheeky smile.

"Well, a cute young girl was in danger. I just couldn't let that slide, now could I?"

Sophie's cheeks burned bright red at the compliment. Someday, I would give her a proper reason why. For the moment though, I couldn't help but tease her.

She slapped my back with her hand, and she was surprisingly strong. Must have been her nature as a Shadow coming into play. With a slight wince and hearty laugh, I waited for her to speak up again.

"...Why are you asking about this now?" she asked after a moment. "Did something happen?"

My smile vanished as I recognised that I needed to tell her now, and let her know exactly what I intended to do.

"The police found the bodies I saw at the factory. They were left at Port Island Station along with a note... Someone knew that I was going to be at the factory that night."

"...Do you think me escaping was something they knew was going to happen as well?"

"No, I don't think so. Whatever knowledge they might have, I don't think you getting out of the docks was a part of their plan. That woman I saw, Asuka, said that they already found a replacement so whatever they were planning to do with you must have been the last step."

I saw fear in her eyes. Just the thought of what could have happened had I not saved her was enough to frighten her once more. I didn't know what to do, but I didn't want to leave her suffering. So, almost on impulse, I stretched out my arms a little, inviting her for a hug.

She took the offer immediately, burying her face into my chest, her arms wrapped around my lower back.

(...She has a right to know.)

"...I won't lie to you, Sophie," I told her. "I think you were to be the last piece of this so-called 'Mirror'. They were going to kill you and then use your body for some purpose involving the Mirror."

I felt Sophie's grip on me tighten. She probably suspected it, but I couldn't know that for certain. However, having suspicions was far different than having them said out loud.

She started shaking. In response, I gently rubbed her head with my hand, trying to calm her down.

"It's okay... It's okay..."

I could only hope that my presence was of some comfort to her. Because she was here now, rather than in some container... I really was all she had at the time, wasn't I? It seems crazy to me now, but there was a time where she wasn't a part of my life.

"...I'm going back to the docks. Tonight," I said with a resolute tone. "Gotou won't be causing any more trouble by the end of it."

"... _Please_... be careful," Sophie pleaded.

"I will."

I didn't realise just how much of an impact she... _they_ would have on my life.

※※※※※

Later that night, we all gathered in the command room. We were just going over every detail possible for tonight's operation. With such a limited amount of time available to us, we couldn't afford many mistakes.

The briefing was short, and the plan simple. Get into the docks, take a closer look at the crystals they were making, find and defeat Gotou. It won't solve every problem, but one less threat roaming around in the Dark Hour could only be a good thing.

(Plus it'll let us focus on the investigation more.)

As we prepared ourselves, I wondered if we would meet Raziel again... It was strange. I didn't notice it when we first met, but I felt a surge of murderous intent from within me. And that intent was squarely focused on Raziel.

(Why? What is it about him that...?)

If Sophie or the others weren't there, I probably would have killed him as soon as I found the opportunity.

I didn't know why, but when the image of him was in my mind. I was constantly thinking that he needed to die, and quickly. If I didn't, something terrible may happen.

I suppressed those thoughts through force. While Raziel was a threat I would have to take care of eventually, actively hunting him down would have created more problems than it would solve at that moment.

I needed to keep my priorities in check. Protecting Sophie, figuring out the plans of that mysterious group, and investigating the Dark Hour. Those took priority over someone I've only spoken to once.

If I got distracted by that during a battle, it could have proven to be fatal.

"Kaz, you alright?" I heard Junpei asked. It seemed as though my silence did not go unnoticed.

Expected, really. Since I was the field leader, of course they would look to me whenever they had a question. And once they did that, they would have seen how deep in thought I was.

I shook my head.

"It's nothing. I'm alright," I told him. "We should get going. The Dark Hour will start soon."

I didn't think that Junpei was convinced by that. Neither did I think Yukari, who was standing nearby being oddly quiet, was convinced as well. However, they were willing to not ask about it. For that, I was somewhat glad.

The night was cold, and trepidation filled the air. To cut through those feelings, I spoke with confidence, acting like the leader I was chosen to be.

"Specialised Extracurricular Execution Squad, commence operation!"

* * *

【Author's Note】

The reprieve our heroes had couldn't have lasted forever. And with that message spurring Kazuto and SEES into action, the last leg of this current arc is now coming up.

But before that, though, how about we take an aside and show things from another perspective? Perhaps it'll shine a light on certain things that have been kept under the cloak of darkness until now.

Or rather, under a blanket of snow.

◆ _Next Time – Interlude I: Snow Castle, Snow Queen_ ◆


	10. Interlude I: Snow Castle, Snow Queen

■ _**Interlude I: Snow Castle, Snow Queen**_

An eternal landscape of snow.

Small specks of white drifted down from the heavens to land softly on the ground. Looking out the large window, Asuka watches with a worried expression. Not because she was afraid of failure—they had been operating in Iwatodai for quite some time and she believes they know their way around this particularly volatile environment—but because she knew that both Murasaki and Mikazuki were going up against an unknown threat.

She didn't know who or what they were fighting, and that made her nervous. She couldn't help but tap her foot impatiently and grip at her arm as she watched the foggy horizon out in the distance, hoping that Murasaki came back okay.

So trapped in her worries, Asuka didn't even sense the presence slowly closing in behind her.

"Worried?"

Asuka turned her head to see the small figure of Airi. She had to look down to properly look Airi in the eye as Airi was about half her size. Wearing her dark-brown hair in pigtails, her brown eyes staring up at Asuka, and wearing the same black female combat uniform as Asuka—a black short sleeved jacket, short sleeved t-shirt, black mini-skirt and black boots—her presence snapped Asuka out of her thoughts and placed her on guard the moment she recognised who was there with her.

For underneath that almost childlike smile was a girl with no regard for human life and an obsession with seeing people suffer. Keeping one eye trained on her, Asuka responded with a neutral voice.

"...Not really. It's just that they've been gone for quite a while. I wonder if they ran into trouble?"

Airi snorted.

"I don't doubt it. The one they're after had managed to catch the attention of my Queen. That means he's dangerous." Her eyes flickered with anger. Though what exactly Airi was angry at was beyond Asuka. "Oh, what I wouldn't give to be able to gut that pathetic doll myself! See just how hollow he truly is!"

While Asuka was used to Airi's outbursts, she always tensed up and wondered, just for a moment, whether that anger would turn towards her. While she was strong, she didn't fancy her chances against an Airi who had gone berserk. So, she said what she thought Airi wanted to hear.

"I'm sure you'll get your chance eventually." Asuka knew she had to change the subject, quickly. "Do you know where Raziel is?"

"In his quarters preparing I would imagine," Airi said. "The Mirror is almost completed, I think. We just need to harvest a few more bodies and then it'll be ready to use whenever we please."

"...The Mirror of Awakening," Asuka murmured. A name chosen by the Queen herself. Fitting for a tool that would serve the particular purpose it was designed for.

"All that's really left is for that Shadow to give us her eyes. Willingly or not," Airi continued on with a smile, not having heard Asuka's murmur. "Knowing Raziel, I don't think she'll have a choice in the matter. Not that she ever had one to begin with, of course."

"...Why do you think the Queen chose _her_ to be our guide?" Asuka asked, unsure as to what kind of answer she'll receive from the person she's asking.

"Don't know." Airi shrugged her shoulders. "All I know is that whatever the Queen decides to do, I'll follow her, no matter what it might be. In any case, I don't really care about the _why_. All I need to know is where to go, what to get, or who to kill."

(I'm not surprised, really. It's just about what one can expect from this psychopath.)

Asuka kept this thought to herself. The last thing anyone needed was for Airi to get angry. So instead, she kept silent. All this managed to do, however, was make the girl in front of her curious.

"Having second thoughts?" Airi asked, with a look that told Asuka that she was looking for an excuse to start a fight. "And here I thought you were all for this."

"The end result, yes," Asuka replied immediately, almost without thinking. "Seventy corpses dumped at our feet by your hand isn't something I can condone."

In response, Airi let out a light giggle from behind her fist. Asuka realised her mistake then. She had let her disgust for Airi's actions overpower her reason and now she had been placed on the defensive.

"I don't think you have any place telling me what's right and what's wrong," Airi said, her cheerful face belying her murderous intent. "Isn't the only reason you're here because⸻"

"We agreed to not talk about our pasts," Asuka interrupted her forcefully before taking a breath to calm herself. "...Regardless of what happened, we're all working towards the same goal, aren't we?"

"You're right," Airi replied with a nod. "Which is why I'm wondering why you seem so appalled by what I'm doing, collecting what is needed to help us get to that goal sooner."

"A few casualties I can accept, in the name of the greater good. But needless slaughter⸻"

Before Asuka could finish her sentence, a strong gust of wind blew by her. The force of the movement blowing her skirt slightly as she froze. She could feel something pressed against her throat. Something sharp. Something cold.

"...I suggest you don't finish that sentence," Airi told her, her voice losing all trace of her cheerful tone. The way she spoke, cold and direct, was chilling and Asuka had to summon enough willpower not to involuntarily move. "Unless you want to truly cement yourself as a hypocrite."

Asuka's hand was at her weapon. She didn't want to draw it unless she absolutely had to, because she knew that if she did, one of them would die.

"You don't want to start a fight here, Airi," she said calmly. Even with a knife to her throat, she managed to remain calm and try to defuse the situation before it could escalate.

"I'd much prefer a fight over all this pointless rabble. And don't assume you know what I want. You'll regret that more than questioning the will of my Queen," Airi said in response. Asuka prepared to draw her weapon.

"C'mon, ladies, there's no need for violence here."

That familiar voice, light and seemingly not caring about the present danger, cut through the atmosphere with just those few words. Asuka and Airi turned to see another of their small group.

"Mikazuki." Glad for the excuse to tear herself away from Airi, she walked over to him. "How did the mission go? I heard that it was unusual."

"Yeah, that's putting it lightly," Mikazuki responded, rubbing the back of his neck. "Long story short, the Queen ordered us to come back. Oh, speaking of." He turned to Airi. "Her Majesty told me to tell you that she wants to see you. Pretty urgent, so I suggest you hurry."

Airi's face lit up, her demeanour doing a complete 180 from before Mikazuki turned up.

"Roger dodger." With a mock salute, Airi rushed down the corridor.

Almost as if a stagnant air was cleared up, Asuka breathed a heavy sigh.

"Bad day?" Mikazuki asked curiously. Asuka shook her head.

"No, just Airi being difficult again."

Mikazuki nodded in understanding. More than once, he had been the target for Airi's ire. So he could understand perfectly what Asuka had went through.

"Ah, I see. Well, she's good at what she does. It isn't exactly pretty or clean, but she's good at it."

"I honestly think she's going to kill one of us someday."

"I'm certain the Queen wouldn't allow it. As she told us, she has 'a place for every one of us on her board.'"

"Airi's just waiting for an excuse to start something. Don't you think you're a little too⸻"

Asuka stopped herself as she spotted something from the corner of her eye. The other person who had went out on the mission to Iwatodai. Murasaki, wearing the same black dress and eye cover that the residents of the castle knew her for wearing.

Asuka made to call out to her, but something stopped her from doing so. The slight shift in Murasaki's normally stoic expression caught her off-guard. Murasaki looked... troubled. By what, Asuka had no idea but it was enough to stun her into silence.

Murasaki walked by the two of them without sparing a word to either of them.

Asuka turned to the male beside her.

"Is she okay?" she asked worriedly. "That isn't normal for her."

"Don't really know." Mikazuki replied, shaking his head. "She's been like that since we came back. Something about this mission must have troubled her, or perhaps she noticed something strange about that boy."

Asuka was certain that Mikazuki noticed something as well. She easily caught the look on his face, as well as knowing that there was no way he missed whatever it was. An archer as capable as he, able to snipe targets from many miles away, both naturally and powered with magic, wouldn't miss potentially valuable information such as that.

"You know, don't you?" Asuka asked, getting right to the point. "What did you find out there?"

Mikazuki fell silent. He turned to look out the window.

"...Someone who the Queen is right to be worried about."

※※※※※

Asuka would later find herself in the throne room of this castle. Large, almost hollow even—a long red carpet stretched from the door to the throne itself, elevated by a stone platform that required the stone stairs to reach. Lit candles provided light, the candlesticks themselves attached to stone columns that showed signs of age, with cracks forming in some places.

There were three large windows behind the throne itself, the light of the night sky also providing light. In this land, the Queen told her when she first arrived, there was no day. There was only eternal night.

Asuka didn't fully believe her until she had spent an entire month there.

She walked up to the Queen and dropped to one knee, bowing her head. It was only proper etiquette, after all. That, and she wouldn't dare disrespect the one who brought her there.

"You may stand," the regal sounding feminine voice commanded gently. Asuka did so, raising her head to look at the one she followed. A woman of royal standing, long black hair that reached down to her back, golden eyes that were piercing in the dark, a flowing black dress with sparkling white specks at the bottom that resembled stars. If she stood and walked around, the dress would drag behind her, but right now, she stayed where she was—sat at her throne.

"Queen Asura," Asuka said. "I bring good news. The last of the Key Crystals is ready to be shipped back to us. Raziel is on his way to complete the last step. The Mirror of Awakening will be completed in a matter of days."

"That is very good," Queen Asura replied with a small smile. "However, there will be _some_ cause for delay. Raziel won't be able to complete his mission."

Asuka wasn't surprised at the matter-of-fact tone of the Queen's voice. This wasn't a sign of no confidence in Raziel. On the contrary, despite his enigmatic nature, everyone in the castle recognised his abilities. No, it was simply the Queen stating a fact.

Asuka understood that Raziel would return in failure since Queen Asura was the one who proclaimed it.

"I see," Asuka said blankly. "You're expecting him to run into trouble?"

"I don't _expect_ him to run into trouble. I _know_ he will. Speaking of, has the replacement for Sophie been prepared?"

Asuka nodded.

"Yes, she's being brought to the castle as we speak."

"Good. Very good." Asura nodded. "It pays to be prepared for every eventuality, don't you think, Asuka Hirakawa?"

"...Of course."

Asura stared at Asuka for a few seconds. She understood, more than anyone, the gravity of what they're doing, and how that might weigh on someone like Asuka. So, she spoke to alleviate that weight, even if it was just for a little while.

"Yourself, Mikazuki Sasaki, Airi Tachibana, Raziel, and Hitomi Izumi. Do you remember the reason why I brought you all to my domain, where humans aren't normally allowed to tread?"

Asuka glanced down at the ground for a second before lifting her gaze to meet with the Queen's.

"...Because you have a place for all of us."

"Exactly. What we are doing won't be understood by most. We'll be scorned, reviled, and the most dangerous of our opponents will eventually stand where you are and face me. However, do know that what we've sacrificed will not be meaningless. It'll pave the way to a brighter future, for both our realms."

Asura stood up and walked down the stone steps and towards Asuka. She gently placed her hand under Asuka's chin and raised her head slightly, making her look at Asura directly.

"While most of us will consider that boy an enemy, we are enemies only by circumstance. Remember that, Asuka. And don't hold it against him. It's not his fault he has been placed against us."

"I... I understand."

In truth, Asuka didn't truly understand what the Queen was saying. She understood the principle, but not the emotion behind it. Asuka sensed that there was more to the Queen's speech than was apparent. But she wouldn't dare question her.

"Is there something on your mind? Speak," Asura gently ordered. After a moment, Asuka shook her head.

"It's nothing, Your Grace."

Asura's eyes flicked up towards the door.

"Ah, it seems that Raziel has returned." As she said that, the large doors to the throne room opened with a heavy sound.

Asuka looked back and saw the latest addition to their team, Raziel. A man of few words, she gathered from her brief interactions with him, but also a capable man. At that moment, however, there was an air of frustration emanating from him.

He walked quickly to the two of them, both Asuka and Asura stepping away from each other. He slowed down as he got closer until he came to a stop near them.

"...What was that thing, _Your Highness_?" Raziel asked, dispensing with any pleasantries or formalities, with a irritated tone and expression. Asura didn't seem insulted by this. Rather, she seemed more amused than anything.

"You know the answer to that. Better than anyone, I would say."

"You knew he was going to be there, didn't you?"

"Hmm, who could say? I know a lot but I've never claimed to know everything. Sheer dumb luck was what caused you two to meet, it seems."

"He was hiding his true strength in that battle, and he seemed completely unaware of that. And you're really telling me that you don't know?"

"You failed in your mission to kill Sophie, that much is apparent. It matters not, though. Failing due to unforeseen circumstances is unfortunate, but not deserving of scorn. Failing due to incompetence, however... I hope I've made things clear to you, _Raziel_."

Raziel remained unfazed by the Queen's sudden shift in tone. Amusement vanished, and in its place was a clear malice. Raziel knew full well what she meant.

"...Of course." He turned on his heel and left the throne room. Asuka watched his back with a neutral stare as he did so. After the doors slammed shut, she turned back to Asura.

"Did you really mean that? It doesn't seem like you... In fact..." Asuka trailed off, thinking on how the Queen's decisions were contradictory to how she acted during her time at the castle. This did not escape the Queen's notice.

"Now I know for _certain_ that there's something on your mind," Asura said, the amusement in her voice returning. "Speak your thoughts. Get any worries off your chest."

"...I just can't help but think that using Sophie to complete the Mirror is cruel. I was wondering how you could..." Asuka once again trailed off, unable to complete her sentence. Asura knew what her servant referred to and, for a moment, a flash of emotion crossed her face. Like a mask that had faltered for a second before she caught herself.

"...My decisions are all to achieve a single purpose," she replied, her tone heavy but firm. "I can't allow for any emotion I might feel to get in the way of that. As for Raziel, I needed to make sure he knows exactly who's in charge. He's new, so I can forgive his insubordination. However, I need him to be obedient when the time comes. A dog unable to follow simple instructions needs to be kept on a short leash—dangerous ones like him, especially... Is that all you need to ask?"

"Y-Yes... If you'll excuse me." With a short bow, Asuka turned and began to walk down the red carpet.

"Before you go, Asuka," Asura called out, making her stop and turn back around. Asura walked up to her. "The next time you're at the factory, I need you and Mikazuki to do something _very_ specific. You see..."

Asura leaned in to whisper in Asuka's ear. The words imparted to Asuka were meant for her alone, and what she heard, what she realised, she would carry for a long time.

Once the Queen's instructions were given to her, Asuka left the throne room, leaving Queen Asura by herself.

The moment the doors closed and she was certain she was alone, the mask slipped. She let her shoulders sag and her posture reflected just how tired she felt. She walked to the back of the room, to the windows, and stared out at the snow-covered landscape before her. Her hand went up to her neck, to something that hung from it. A small golden locket that remained closed. She rubbed the front of it gently with her thumb, reflecting on the memories that were contained within it.

"...Fate can be so cruel," Asura said softly. Sadness. Heartache. Those were the undeniable emotions that could be heard if one happened to hear her words. "Being able to see the outcome of all paths, but unable to do anything to change my destiny. You were a pawn of fate, but you still threw yourself into its grip because you believed in me..."

Asura closed her eyes, visions of times long since past rushing through her mind.

"...I don't expect you to forgive me for what I've done. I know that I certainly cannot forgive myself. Whatever chance I had for a happy ending vanished a long time ago..."

She let the locket drop, feeling it bounce against her chest. She let those old memories fade away, and she steeled her heart once more. Now wasn't the time for reminiscing. There was still much to do.

"I won't let you have your way, Philemon. This twisted game must end."

* * *

【Author's Note】

And here you are. Some insight into our antagonists for this tale. I'm certain that this had left you with more questions than answers, and believe me, that was my intention.

In fact, what you've seen was more generous than I intended. Perhaps you think you know some of the answers. Maybe. That's entirely possible. What is certain is now you know something that the other characters don't. Perhaps, with that knowledge in mind, you'll now view future events with a more cautious eye.

I won't say any more than that, in fear of giving away my hand. I hope you enjoyed this and I'll see you for the next chapter.

◆ _Next Chapter – Chapter 9: Awakened Fate_ ◆


	11. Awakened Fate

■ _**Chapter 9: Awakened Fate**_

"No sign of Gotou so far, Senpai. Though I don't expect that to last long. We're coming up to the main portion of the docks and will make our way to the warehouses as planned."

"Copy that."

We had made our way straight to the docks and arrived just before the Dark Hour began. Our goal was clear and, knowing we didn't have a lot of time, we didn't waste a second. We rushed through the docks and came upon the warehouses, near where we found Sophie.

...It was almost funny, in a way. We were hiding in these the last time we were there, on Sophie's suggestion when we were trying to avoid Gotou's attention. To think, if I had noticed those crates, we might have had a slight advantage.

(No, it wouldn't have been. We would have had to go to the factory still, and they were one step ahead of us in any case. Knowing the location of those crates would have only allowed us to connect the dots sooner. It wouldn't have changed anything.)

And we would had to come back to the docks regardless to take care of Gotou. It seemed as though our path was decided for us before we even began.

"We're here," I said as we walked up to the warehouse we hid in. The door was still slightly open, which only served to arouse our suspicions. "We're looking for metal crates, should give off an odd feeling when you look at them. If this was their main storage unit, it should be easy to find."

WIth affirmative nods from both Yukari and Junpei, we squeezed through the small gap in the door and, using the ring's power, I illuminated the room. It was quite the storage space. Rows and rows of metallic crates, wooden boxes and other assortment of containers found their place here. Finding what we were after might have proved more difficult than I initially thought.

I made a decision on the spot, knowing that I couldn't hesitate.

"Let's separate and look for one of those crates. Just shout for the others should any of you find one."

Without waiting for a reply, I made my way deeper into the mess of containers. As I looked carefully at what I was able to see, I obtained a better understanding of what was being stored there. Diamonds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds. Rare and valuable stones which would sell for quite a bit of money.

It certainly explained how Asuka and her group were able to hide those crystals there. Curiously, though, I didn't see any official documentation on any of those crates and containers which held the stones. Considering that Yukari didn't find anything the last time we were there, and the fact that this part of the docks was seemingly left untouched by the normal workers, I came to one possible conclusion.

(Something illegal was _definitely_ going on here. And, funny enough, it wasn't Asuka and her group.)

...Even though I was reluctant to let this be, this wasn't our responsibility. Our primary goal was to investigate the Dark Hour. Dealing with criminals would be left to the police, while we fought those that threaten the whole of humanity.

"Hey, Kaz!" Junpei yelled. "I think I found something!"

Yukari and I rushed over. Several of the crates near Junpei were in rather odd places, making me think that he moved some of them to see what was behind them. A very familiar looking crate sat before us. A metallic crate, and the bad feeling I get just from looking at it.

It was strange, however. I felt very conflicted on how I should feel. There was a small voice trying to tell me that whatever was in that container was dangerous and that I should keep my distance. And yet... Something about it was familiar, comforting even.

A thought crossed my mind. That something was incredibly wrong with everything I'd seen up to this point.

"Well, what do you think?" I heard Junpei ask. That snapped me out of my thoughts and made me look at him.

"I think this is it," I replied. "Let's open it up."

It took a good deal of effort on Junpei's part, as well as my own, but we managed to open the container. Even a cursory count of what I could see didn't give me an idea of how many crystals were in the crate, there were just so many.

"That's... Are you sure this is what we're looking for?" Yukari asked, sounding unsure. I nodded.

"Yeah, I'm sure. This is what I saw back at the factory... Though I understand why you asked, Yukari," I replied before looking back at the crystals. Though I said that it should give off a bad feeling when you look at them, I was starting to have second thoughts about it myself.

A small voice at the back of my mind was telling me that this was dangerous, and that I shouldn't be this close. However, that voice was quashed by the thought that there was a fundamental mistake we were all making. An assumption that had led us astray.

But for the life of me, I couldn't figure out what that assumption was. Only that there _was_ an assumption.

A faint noise off in the distance made me turn and walk over to the door to investigate. Sticking my head out and looking around for a few seconds, I saw nothing. But I knew that the source of the sound wouldn't take long to find us. I was operating under the assumption that Gotou would find us pretty much immediately.

The fact that we had gotten to this point without being seen was a minor miracle. Though that would not last for long. We needed to prepare ourselves for battle.

"Despite how it looks, these are actually quite warm to the touch," I heard Junpei say as I made my way back over to my teammates. "Hey, Kaz, feel this."

Junpei threw the crystal he was holding over to me and, on instinct, I reached out to catch it.

"Gyah!"

The moment my fingers touched the glass-like surface, something shot through my body like a lightning bolt. Something warm, familiar yet unfamiliar. And yet, it was painful. Painful enough that I brought my hand back reflexively, letting the crystal fall to the ground.

It didn't crack or break into pieces like I thought it would. It bounced harmlessly, rolling away from me for a second before it came to a complete stop.

"Are you alright?!" Yukari yelled as she rushed over to my side. After taking a moment to collect myself, I nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I told her. Eyes darting over to the crystal, I walk over and tentatively reach out to it. I gave it a quick tap as a test. I didn't feel anything that time, so I picked it up carefully. Examining it with a curious eye, I couldn't help but comment on it. "That was weird... Hmm?"

Now that I had gotten a closer look at what those creatures were creating, I was certain. That odd feeling I got from before wasn't the fault of the crystal. No, it was simply my own mistake.

"What are you thinking?" I heard Yukari ask. By this point, Junpei had made his way over to us.

"Well, I can say one thing for certain," I said, putting the crystal in my jacket pocket. "The assumption I made back at the factory was wrong. About how these crystals were made."

"And how did you think those things were made back then?" Junpei asked curiously, only to see me shake my head.

"I won't answer that..."

There wasn't any point in worrying them about it. No need to create any false assumptions about our "enemy". While it would be easy to create that image in our minds of that group as demons who would slaughter humanity for their benefit, until I was absolutely certain of their intentions and how they planned to go about it, I didn't feel comfortable assigning that label to them.

But why, one may wonder, after everything I had seen with my own two eyes, couldn't I commit fully to this battle against them? ...Because it's easy to lie. Lie about being a villain, especially when you've managed to build such a strong case for that being the truth. I believed, however, that it was far easier to lie about being a hero. All you needed was one good lie...

(...I shouldn't overthink this. The simple fact of the matter is that I need to work towards finding out for certain. What's really going on in this city...)

A roar echoed throughout the docks, drawing our attentions to the door.

(But first, we have to take care of this problem.)

"What do we do, Leader?" Yukari asked. When I turned, I saw that both Junpei and her had their weapons drawn. They were clearly ready for a fight.

(Good. I need them to be.)

"We have what we came for. Now all we have to do is take care of the present issue."

I summoned my sword to my hand.

"By the end of this, Sophie _will_ be able to live in peace. Let's go."

※※※※※

We took no chances and stuck together. Gotou would be a dangerous and difficult opponent to defeat, so I would do whatever I could to minimize the risk. The battle would take place within the docks, so Mitsuru should be safe staying at the entrance.

Although I was certain about that, I was still worried. So I gave her a heads-up to be careful.

"Roger that, but..." Mitsuru trailed off for a moment before she spoke again. "Can I speak to you privately, once this is over?"

"Uh, sure," I replied slowly. "Is something wrong? If it's important, we can⸻"

"No, no it's fine. It can wait. Besides, I don't want to worry you before a battle."

(Poor decision to bring it up in that case, Senpai. All you've managed to do is make me curious now.)

Not so curious that I would lose my focus, that'd just be foolish. But if something was troubling her so much that she almost felt compelled to tell me as soon as she could, now _that_ , that was enough to grab my attention.

(Need to follow up on that as soon as I can.)

For now, however, we needed to concentrate on our goal. Whatever mystery awaited me was something for future me to deal with.

I turned to Yukari and Junpei.

"Let's find a large open space. I don't know about you, but I'd rather not take a dive into the sea from one of Gotou's attacks. Something about it just gives me the willies."

An amused snort came from Junpei. My gaze snapped towards him.

"What?" I asked. "Did I say something funny?"

Yukari looked just as confused as I.

"No, it's nothing. Let's get going."

Yukari and I shared a look, trying to figure out what Junpei found so humorous. She shrugged her shoulders, as if saying "I don't have a clue."

(It's probably something immature... Yeah, definitely.)

With a sigh, I started to walk forward, with Yukari and Junpei following close behind, and putting all of my focus towards my strategy. There was no way I was going to let Junpei and Yukari get up close and personal with Gotou, lest they be turned into human pancakes within a few seconds.

I was only willing to let myself take that risk. And besides, I had a crutch to back me up in case things got hairy. Instead, I had very specific roles in mind for those two. Which I explained to them as we made our way through.

"So our job is to distract Gotou with our Personas?" Junpei asked.

"If you can," I replied. "Considering what happened last time, he might take more of an interest in chasing me around rather than dealing with you. In that case, we'll go with the backup plan." Thanks to the time I spent thinking about this on the way to the docks, the image of what I needed came easily. An arrow. The lynchpin of this plan would come in the form of Yukari making a specific shot with her bow. If she managed to make it, it would guarantee our victory.

I stretched out my hand with the arrow. Yukari glanced down at the arrow for a moment before lifting her gaze back to me, an uncertain look in her eyes. I nodded.

"I trust you. If we can't defeat Gotou quickly enough, then we'll have to use this. There was something I learned about Gotou the last time we were here. We'll exploit this, and it'll give you the chance you need to fire this straight into his heart."

She took the arrow, though she still looked uncertain as she said, "And what if _that_ doesn't work?"

"Oh, I'll think of something."

In truth, I didn't have a plan beyond that. If it didn't work, I would have had to just wing it. I didn't expect the arrow to actually _kill_ Gotou, however. That was just part one of the plan. I didn't mention what the second part was to the others, though. They wouldn't have agreed to it.

Besides, telling them would have defeated the purpose of my strategy. For this to work, the less people who knew, the better.

"Speaking of," I said silently. "Senpai, you keeping a close eye?"

"I am. I'll let you know when the moment comes."

"Good."

With Mitsuru watching over me, I felt confident that what I have up my sleeve would work.

(Ah, this should do.)

I came to a stop and looked around. A large, open area, with little in the way of obstacles and a few cranes holding up containers. A perfect arena for the upcoming battle.

"Now then," I said, rolling my shoulders to get rid of the slight stiffness in them. "I don't know about you two, but I think we've wasted enough time searching for this thing. I'm surprised he hasn't found us by now. Wonder why...? Regardless, we don't have the time to spare. So I'm going to propose a solution to this little problem."

Junpei and Yukari looked towards each other for a moment. Perhaps they were slowly beginning to realise what I intended to do. And that worried them.

"And what would that solution be?" Yukari asked, a nervous glint to her eyes. I smiled.

"Simple. We have him come to us."

I raised my hand, pointing the ring toward the sky. A bolt of light shot out and climbed towards the heavens before exploding with a loud flash and several miniature bangs. Sort of like a firework.

(That should get his attention.)

Whatever the two of them were expecting, it probably wasn't that, going by that shocked looks and incredulous tone of voice as they spoke.

"The hell are you doing?!" Junpei asked loudly.

"Getting his attention, of course," I answered simply.

"He's going to head straight for us!" Yukari yelled.

" _That's_ what I'm hoping for."

They stared at me like I had grown an extra head. Either that, or they were staring at me like I was completely insane. That was also possible.

"You might want to step back," I told them. "Like, right now."

They followed that command without question. If he came charging in, they wouldn't want to be in his path when he did so. Heavy footsteps fell, growing louder as they drew close. I stayed where I was, rooted to the spot, with a calm expression.

There wasn't any need to be worried. I had this planned out to the letter. I dotted all the i's and crossed the t's. As long as I followed it carefully, things would turn out fine.

A loud crash, followed by the incoming force that was the large ball that Gotou was dragging around. With a snap of my finger, a protective shield formed around me. The steel ball bounced harmlessly off of it and crashed into a nearby set of containers.

A sudden chill went through my body for a second as I looked back towards the mess that was caused.

(What was that? ...It felt like... No, don't think of it. Not until this is done.)

I looked back to what stood in front of me. The ogre, Gotou. To my surprise, he didn't attack as soon as he saw me. Instead, he examined me curiously. I stayed on my guard the entire time, not knowing what kind of plan he had brewing.

"...You look a little different. She described you so vividly," he said, that same demonic tone that I remembered from before spilling from his words. "But you're definitely the one. You're quite a long way from home."

"You know me?" I asked, taken aback by his strange words.

"Not personally, no," Gotou replied. "But I _have_ heard of you. The one who forced you into the role of a 'hero' had made a very powerful enemy that day. She who can see where all roads lead and guide the world down her desired path. Our meeting here was foreseen, and the outcome is already known to me. I meet you here knowing how this will all end."

I was ready to summon my sword at a moment's notice.

(What is he talking about?)

My thoughts scrambled to try to make sense of Gotou's words. All the while, some small, indistinct voice was telling me to just kill Gotou now and ignore his attempts to distract me. I silenced that voice through force of will.

(No, I need to find out more. This is just too strange. I won't accept that this is as simple as you say it is.)

"It seems you are just as strong-willed as she says," Gotou commented amusedly. "All she needed to do was give you the chance, and already you're beginning to fight back."

Did he notice something that I didn't? I didn't know. I was still trying to wrap my mind around what he said before and then he said something just as confusing. It's hard to blame me for not thinking straight. Piecing together the fragments of my scattered mind, I relaxed my hand.

"I don't appreciate you talking in riddles," I told him. "Now, will you tell me what you mean? Or do I have to force you to talk?"

"There won't be any need for that," Gotou said, chuckling a little. "You'll learn the truth when the time is right... She knew that I would do this before our first encounter, but I'll allow you to ask one question of me. I will answer truthfully. No deceit, no misdirection."

(Just one, huh...?)

I silently motioned for Junpei and Yukari to hold off on any attacks for the moment.

"What are you going to do? I don't think we can trust him or anything he says," Mitsuru spoke, her voice clear in my mind.

"I know... but I feel as though we should ask him anyway. Something tells me he's being honest when he says that he'll answer truthfully."

There were many questions I could have asked. The identity of this "she" he spoke of, who exactly "forced" me into the circumstances I had found myself in, what exactly this person Gotou spoke of foresaw. In the end, I decided that I would eventually discover all of this as I went on.

No, to me, there was a question that I needed to know the answer to. Something that had troubled me since I discovered what was to become of her.

"Why did you hold Sophie prisoner?" I asked. "I understand that she was a part of this grand plan involving a 'mirror'. But I don't understand why it had to be _her_ specifically."

"One might suspect that it was to give you a reason to move forward," Gotou answered quickly, surprising me a little. "However, the answer to your question is far simpler. Simply put, Her Majesty saw that Sophie would be here and be rescued by you, so she made sure that would happen. Keeping the chains of fate intact and all that."

(...Why would she do that?)

Asking that at this stage would be pointless. I had already used up my singular question, after all. Still, I gained quite a lot from that answer. Knowledge that I could use. Something that Gotou clearly realised.

"From the look on your face, it seems that your question wasn't a waste of time for you after all. It put to rest several doubts that you had."

"...You could say that."

The problem was what to do with that knowledge. Even though my doubts had vanished, it left me with an important question to answer.

(If those people aren't my enemy, then who is...?)

Still, I couldn't help but be satisfied. I had gotten some answers and having a few hints about my past was⸻

"Good. That's very good. Since we've covered everything we need to talk about, shall we start killing each other now?"

(...Eh? What?)

⸻And somehow, I had completely forgot about that.

My eyes darted to look at Junpei and Yukari. Their weapons were at the ready now. A fight was inevitable. I knew that this was coming, but I was still taken aback. At least he was kind enough to warn me of this sudden shift. Or perhaps this was just an example of what he was talking about before.

Keeping the chains of fate intact. We were destined to fight, so we shall fight. But it just felt wrong. Even though I would fight, it troubled me that it wasn't my own choice to do so.

"Is this fate?" I asked. "Or is this the choice you made?"

"To me, the difference is non-existent," he replied. He kneeled down, placing his hand on the ground. The concrete cracked and burned as he manifested something from the earth itself. He took hold of the grip and pulled out a curved stone sword. Red cracks similar to those I saw on those creatures at the factory ran all across it, making it look somewhat brittle. I knew full well that it was dangerous, and just as sturdy as a regular sword—perhaps even more so. "I knew what would happen when I made the decision to work with Her Majesty, and I walk this path without regret. Let us see if you have the strength to face what lies ahead, 'nameless hero'."

Summoning my own blade to my hand, I stood prepared for a challenging fight. A familiar chill went through me once again. Though, it was far less a chill and more of a painful shock. I brought my shaking hand under control, hoping that no one in the vicinity noticed.

I quickly went through the possibilities for what might be causing this sudden pain, but I knew exactly what it was. I was forced by the pain to confront it. The silver band around my finger, the source of my strength at the time. The last thing I expected was for the damn thing to start trying to kill me.

And I was under no illusions about that. The ring that I had accepted from the girl back on that bridge was trying to take my life, _now_ of all times. And yet, despite what the rational side of me thought, I didn't believe it was that girl's fault.

The look on her face was too genuine for it to be anything other than sincere. And, despite not knowing much about myself, I liked to believe that I was a decent judge of character. So, I began to think. About if there was someone else that was working with her, or perhaps she was working for.

Unfortunately, I didn't have the time to ponder. Gotou charged towards me, sword ready to strike.

(He's coming!)

I couldn't change a plan that was already set in motion. I had placed my trust in Mitsuru, Yukari, and Junpei. And they in turn put their trust in me when they appointed me their leader.

And what good would changing it be when I had already made the preparations? So what could I do but soldier on?

The first strike came from Junpei's Persona, Hermes. The messenger of the Gods and the youngest of the Twelve Olympians. A wall of fire separated Gotou and myself, allowing me to get my bearings.

I couldn't see either Junpei and Yukari, but the sounds of exploding fire and strong wind told me that they were executing their part of the plan.

(Right. I need to think things through quickly.)

I closed my eyes for a moment. Gotou was intelligent. There was no doubt in my mind that he would understand what our plan was when I moved into position.

(If we move quickly enough, it won't matter if he figures it out... But, this new development complicates matters.)

With the ring's sudden rebellion against me, it would prove too taxing to go with my original strategy. The strain of creating an illusion that large would cripple me as things stood. So, I needed to limit my use of the ring until the final attack.

(...Right. I know what I have to do... This is gonna hurt.)

Preparing myself for what was to come, and starting to get a little scared at the prospect, I forced my way through the flames and charged for Gotou. I charged enough energy from the ring and directed it to my legs, enough to be able to jump up to Gotou's back and climb onto his shoulders.

No doubt feeling that a bug had managed to get on his shoulder, he immediately swung his weapon to swat it. I moved my arm, bringing my weapon into its path and overloaded it with energy from the ring. The impact from the two weapons colliding caused the sword in my hand to explode, forcing his arm back.

A sharp pain coursed through me, but I forced through it. The circumstances forced me to get creative. I had a single thought in mind as I prepared my next move.

(Have to keep him still.)

From the ground, extremely strong chains appeared from a portal and wrapped themselves around Gotou's body.

"Now, Yukari!" I yelled. She quickly prepared the arrow I gave her. Gotou thrashed around and struggled against his binds. As I was, it would be nothing more than a minor hinderance, but it would be more than enough.

She took aim. I tightened my hand, tightening the chain's grip on the ogre. This extra second of time I managed to give Yukari allowed her to land the shot, driving the arrow into Gotou's chest.

It was only a matter of time now until he was defeated. However, the road to getting there would be bumpy. A prediction that was immediately proven when Gotou managed to break one of the chains holding him, allowing him to reach up and grab me.

With a heavy sound, Gotou threw me away. I landed harshly against the ground, skidding across it for a few seconds before coming to a stop. My jacket was most likely ripped, my trousers were most _definitely_ ripped, and a bruise would most likely form, but I was still alive.

I tried to stand up, but I was still feeling the effects of that landing.

(At least I'm not dead. That's most important...)

"Ow, shit..."

(That's gonna hurt in the morning.)

I shook my head to clear my blurry vision. I needed to see what was happening, so I lifted my head to look. What I saw was the curious sight of Gotou holding the chain I was using to trap him. It stretched out in front of him, almost like it was⸻

"Huh?"

My eyes darted to look towards my feet, and panic suddenly shot through me. The chain had somehow wrapped itself around my foot.

"Oh, not good." That was all I managed to say before I was suddenly pulled into the air. The world became a blur as I immediately used the ring's power to drive up my defences as much as I could. I first crashed into a crane nearby, then the wall, and after being spun around, around, and around, the chain came loose. A loud bang resounded through the area as I crashed into a container.

"Aggh!"

I couldn't tell if the pain was from crashing into the container or the ring rebelling against me once more. Either way, I was struggling to get back up.

"Kaz!" Yukari screamed as she rushed over to me. "Are you okay?!"

"Surprisingly... yeah..." I told her as she helped me back to my feet. The need to cough overpowered my will to speak, and I let out several painful ones. Dry coughs that hurt my throat.

"You don't sound okay," Yukari correctly pointed out. If I had told her what was happening with the ring, she would immediately suggest we come up with a different plan. I couldn't let that happen. Things were already too far along for us to change our strategy now.

Besides, we were already in its last stage.

"Looks a lot worse than it actually is."

Brushing off her concern, I looked towards the battlefield. Junpei was holding his own rather well, using his Persona for diversionary tactics like we planned.

"What do we do now?" Yukari asked.

"Keep distracting him while I get prepared. This is gonna be a little more difficult than anticipated, so I have to make sure I get this right."

"And what happens if you get it wrong?"

"...Probably die. Most definitely _will_ die if I get this wrong," I said, trying to keep my voice as neutral as I could. Yukari let out a small nervous sound as she turned to face Gotou.

"No pressure, right?" she asked, a slight hint of sarcasm in her tone.

"Right..." I said as Yukari charged back to give Junpei some backup. "...Senpai."

"I know. I was watching your vitals as you fought, you're not looking too good. Are you sure this is the only way?"

"The longer this fight drags on, the greater the risk. We need to end this as quickly as we can... Besides, there's no need for two to die if only one has to."

"Tomomi, don't you dare," Mitsuru replied sternly. "You need to be there for Sophie... Kill him, Tomomi. And do it fast. As you said, we don't have the time."

"Roger."

The distraction efforts from Yukari and Junpei gave me the cover I needed to rush in. I didn't risk using the ring to move quickly, instead relying on my own speed to get there. As I ran, I began charging power through my body, feeling the ring rebelling every step of the way.

(Come on, you bitch! You're not done until I say you're done!)

I pictured the last weapon I would need from this tool. A bow. A bow capable of shooting arrows with the speed of a gunshot, and an arrow that would pierce through Gotou's body. I anticipated the effects creating this sort of weapon would cause, and I didn't expect it to be good. Given the circumstances, however, I knew that what I thought would happen to me would be ten times worse than initial predictions.

It was very possible that the strain would kill me. But if I was going to die, at least I would take Gotou with me. I was confident that no matter what happened, the ogre would die.

The bow appeared in my hand as I slid across the ground, underneath Gotou's legs, the arrow appearing in my off-hand. I prepared the shot, charging it with a massive quantity of energy, more than what my body was capable of handling. My vision dimmed until all I could see was pure blackness.

So far, all was happening according to plan.

"A little higher, to the left, a little more up," Mitsuru directed quickly. Using the arrow in Gotou's chest as a guide, Mitsuru guided my shot. "There!"

Trusting in her guidance, I let go of the string, a loud "ping" sound echoed through the area. I couldn't see anything. It was still pitch black to me, but I did hear the sound of a loud crash and a pained yell.

"Holy shit!" I heard Junpei yell.

"I-Is it over...?" Yukari asked. "Kazuto!"

Falling to the ground, I struggled to regain my breath as the pain of every bump and shock that I felt through the battle caught up to me. With an effort that almost felt herculean, I lifted my arms and pulled the ring off my finger forcefully.

My sight returned to me quickly, and the first thing I saw was Yukari and Junpei beside me, both with worried expressions.

"Did... I get him?" I asked first and foremost. Junpei nodded.

"'Get him'? Pretty sure if you had put any more power into that shot, you'd have sent him to the moon."

(He's making jokes... That means we really did win.)

I tried to sit up, only to fall back down. Yukari was there, however, to help me out with that, making sure I was able to stand on my own two feet.

"What happened back there?" Junpei asked. "You jumping on his back wasn't part of the plan."

I hesitated to tell him, looking down at the ring in my hands. Eventually, I decided to just say it. Now that the battle was over, there wasn't any need to hide what happened.

"...The ring was trying to kill me," I said, watching as shock and surprise crossed their features. "I was lucky what I pulled just now didn't _actually_ kill me. I was expecting at the very least to get seriously hurt. Guess I'm luckier than I thought..."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Yukari asked with a worried glance towards the ring in my hand.

"By the time I realised what was going on, it was far too late to change plans. In any case, it doesn't matter now..."

"Hey, what's wrong?" Junpei definitely noticed the forlorn look on my face. "We won, didn't we?"

"...It's nothing," I said. Gotou knew he would lose here that day. And yet, despite having every opportunity to do so, he didn't try to run away from that fate. "...Bring me over to him."

"Eh?"

Their surprise was understandable. After all, why would we need to talk to Gotou? While _they_ didn't see the need to, I did.

"I'm going to have trouble walking for a while, so help me get over there."

Silently, Yukari took a grip of my shoulder while Junpei hoisted my right arm over his own shoulder. They then carefully helped me walk towards the fallen ogre, who at no point made any attempt at getting up. Perhaps he understood that my attack was fatal, and that there was no point to trying.

"Kazuto, promise me you won't use that ring anymore. The power it has isn't worth your life," Yukari told me, making it clear that she won't accept no for an answer.

(Not like I was planning to use it again, anyway. Even so...)

"Kind of a big problem when it's the only source of strength I have," I told her. Even though she was right, we couldn't deny that very basic fact.

"We'll think of something," Junpei said. "Anyone who came up with a crazy plan like that and then had to come up with a crazier one on the fly has got to be able to figure out how to solve something as basic as that."

"While I appreciate the compliment, I don't think it'll be as easy as⸻"

I never got to finish that sentence. I noticed something off in the distance. A bright light that shot up into the sky. Moments later, the sky split open, cracked like a pane glass. The cracks spread all across the green sky until it seemed that every corner of the Dark Hour was set to break apart.

Accompanied by that cracking sound that made me wonder if we were going to have to find cover from the sky literally falling apart. The cracking stopped, and then, from the same place the light shot up, several beams of light shot into the city, landing at seemingly random points. The only one whose location I knew for certain was in the middle of the ocean.

I thought I could see something like an island that suddenly formed, but I couldn't be certain about _that_.

"The hell was that?!" Junpei yelled.

"Were we too late?!" Yukari yelled.

I remained silent and calm. It was to be expected. I had no hope of actually putting a stop to whatever they had planned. Our only goal here was simply to get Gotou out of the picture, nothing more.

"...Bring me over to Gotou, quickly," I said, putting more force into my tone. They got the picture and rushed me over to the fallen ogre, who was struggling to breathe by this point.

"...It seems... that I managed to stall you for long enough," Gotou said. "So my death... won't be a useless thing."

"But you already knew that, of course," I said, to which he let out a chuckle.

"She... Never mind her, she's not someone you have to worry about."

"...What the hell was that?" I asked him, unable to put any anger into my voice. I was too tired for that. "What the hell did they do?"

Gotou chuckled again.

"Giving you the chance to fix all of this," he said, which didn't help me at all. "...Allow me to correct you on one thing. The only reason Sophie was held captive... was because she was seen here by our Queen. She would never be so cold as to kill an innocent girl."

"So what I found in the factory⸻"

"A lie, mostly... The part about using Sophie to power the Mirror of Awakening was bullshit... meant to stoke your sense of justice... that would never allow an innocent person to be harmed if you could help it. She said that if someone needed help, you'd help them, even if it brings great pain to you."

(...)

"Everything they have done was all for your sake... Though it seems that some of them haven't got the memo yet... but they will... eventually. There's a place for every single one of them on this board, after all... You'd better ask Her Highness the rest. She knows what's going on better than I... I'm sure she'll come see you eventually."

Contemplating what he said for a moment, I elected against asking Gotou about this "Queen" he spoke of. As he said, I would meet her eventually. As much as I would have loved going back to the dorm and to think things over in the relative safety of my room, I couldn't. Not when I had the chance to ask this question to someone who might have known the answer.

"...I have one last question for you," I said softly, just loud enough so that he could hear me. "...Who am I?"

No trace of amusement on his face, even his voice seemed to change as he responded to me after a long five seconds.

"That's something you'll have to decide for yourself, child of the dark," he told me. "But be warned. The choices you make here won't only affect you and your friends, it'll affect all of us. This realm and ours. He's coming... and... in the end, you..."

Gotou fell silent. His eyes closed and the light of life faded away. His body vanished into dust and scattered on the night wind. My expression never changed, even as I watched my foe vanish.

Even though I kept a cool exterior, my thoughts were turbulent. The overload of information and its implications not settling well with me at all. More than anything, I just wanted to sleep. I just couldn't handle things at the moment.

"...Let's go home," I told Yukari and Junpei, my emotionless tone saying more to them than anything else I could have said. Glancing at the two of them, I saw that they weren't unaffected by what Gotou said either.

"...Yeah," Yukari said as she helped me turn around. Together, we all made our way back.

(We won... This city will be safe for a while, but...)

I couldn't help but look up towards the sky, cracked and ready to break. As if the illusion of the Dark Hour, of this world, was set to crumble.

(...These people brought the sky down... for _me_...?)

* * *

【Author's Note】

An illusion can only sustain itself for so long before it crumbles under its own weight. And _that_ may have unexpected consequences for the world at large. I'll leave you all to think on that as the change in the status quo sinks in.

The next chapter will be the last in the Child of the Dark Arc. It's taken us quite a while to get there, but soon, we can move on. Another chapter with our... well, perhaps it wouldn't be right to call them the "antagonists" now, would it?

It'll be a chapter that will shed some light on the current circumstances. As well as reveal some truths to you all.

Beyond that, you'll have the start of the next arc to look forward to: the "Shadow Executioner" Arc.

◆ _Next Time - Interlude II: Divergence_ ◆


	12. Interlude II: Divergence

■ _**Interlude II: Divergence**_

A quiet room on the edge of the world, existing between dream and reality. The only noise that filled it were the soft sounds of rustling paper as the woman sitting on the couch flipped the page of the book she was reading.

Near the back of this room that was bathed in a soft blue light was a round table covered with a white cloth. A large fancy couch sat behind this table, and its sole occupant was a rather strange man. Shorter than the average person, with large bloodshot eyes, a long nose, bald head with the exception of the tuft of white hair on the back, and wearing a black suit that added to the mysterious air that surrounded him.

Time didn't exist in that place. There was no beginning, nor was there an end. So any event that occurred within this room held some significance to the occupants, no matter how trivial or silly it seemed.

That's why, when they heard the sound of the handle turning, both the old man and the woman turned to greet the one who entered.

"Ah, Elizabeth, welcome back," the old man greeted the woman who entered, wearing a hooded cloak. "How did the boy fare?"

The woman called Elizabeth removed the hood and looked towards the old man.

"It was as you said, Master Igor," she replied. "The ring tried to take his life, but he had the strength to fight it."

Dark expressions crossed the features of both Igor and the woman sitting on the chair near him.

"As I suspected," Igor said.

"Why would Master Philemon do this?" the woman asked, shutting the book. "Wasn't the boy supposed to be his champion?"

"Obviously, he felt as though he made a mistake," Elizabeth said bitterly. "And sought to correct it through force. Fortunately, the boy is tougher than even I expected."

"It's to be expected," Igor told the two of the them. "After all, he did survive the Battle of the Ashen Plains. The strength to fight in those conditions don't come to just any man or creature."

"...So where exactly does he go from here?" the woman asked as Elizabeth moved to sit beside her. "He has a goal but the strength to achieve it is no longer with him. Without support of some kind, I don't see how he can progress."

"The current circumstances we now face can be blamed entirely on him. Why should we allow him to continue on?"

The booming voice filled the air. And from behind a pillar near the entrance of the room, a man dressed in a white suit walked out into the light. His face obscured by a white mask with a painted butterfly on it, and slicked back black hair with a ponytail.

Elizabeth stood up and greeted the recent arrival with a glare. Having seen the effects of his machinations first hand, it was difficult for her to treat him with any form of respect.

"Why did you do it?" she asked. No response. The silence aggravated Elizabeth, whose glare turned harsher. "Answer me. What right did you have to do that when you forced this on him to begin with?"

"You know the answer to that," he replied. "You know what kind of creature he is. I thought I could use his strength to perform the miracle that our previous guest could not. But I've found that he's woefully ill suited to the task."

"You robbed him of his memories, stole from him his home and his sword, forced him into a battle he's not prepared for, and expected him to reach the end of that path on blind faith?" Elizabeth summed up incredulously, in disbelief that her Master could be that foolish. The man shook his head.

"Give me some credit, Elizabeth. I fully expected their paths to diverge at some point, and was prepared for the consequences as a result... But the situation has changed. Those two meeting was not part of the plan. Neither was you giving the boy that ring. That was dangerous."

"With all due respect, Master Philemon, but without the strength he had before you brought him here, he wouldn't have lasted long. I had to do something. At least, until they were able to make their move."

"Oh?"

"Yes. You made a bad call. You allowed the rulers of Soltris to gain a foothold in this world, and now those people from Lunalesca are trying to clean up after your mess. The princess—soon to be queen—especially has a grudge against you."

Philemon moved his head slightly, disdain showing in his posture.

"That woman is nothing more than a child who has more power than sense. Her actions could bring this realm to ruin."

"Your actions that day have already placed us on the road to that. And taking that boy has made you her enemy. Out of all the moves you could have made, you chose the worst ones... So the question remains, what exactly are you going to do now?"

"...Nothing."

"What?" Elizabeth's immediate reply came without thought. Confused at Philemon's sure tone of voice, he looked to him for an explanation.

"I will do nothing. Iwatodai will soon become a battleground, and I'd rather not get involved in their politics. I will simply watch and await the outcome. Whether the boy loses or is victorious, it matters not."

"How could you⸻?!" Elizabeth stopped herself before she could finish her question. There was little point in asking that. He had made his decision and it would take a miracle for her to make him budge on this topic. _Especially_ this topic.

"...Of course, you're free to do as you wish," Philemon told her, turning his back to her. "It's only human to have the freedom to make your own mistakes. But do know that the consequences for said mistakes will rest solely on you."

With his warning given, Philemon disappeared back into the shadows of the room. His presence may have faded, but the occupants of the room knew he was watching. An unnatural burst of anger overtaking Elizabeth, she punched the door near her.

"That was a... pleasant conversation," the woman with the book said dryly once the noise faded. The old man chuckled.

"I find it hard to blame our dear Elizabeth here for being upset. After all, you're personally acquainted with the boy, are you not?"

"...Yes, Master Igor. I met him when Lavenza and I took a trip to Stella, the capital city of Lunalesca. He saved us from a pack of Reavers, even though he didn't have to. Both she and I are indebted to him."

"This is the first I've heard of this," the woman commented, putting the book down and standing up.

"It was just a shopping trip," Elizabeth told her, looking away bashfully. "The cake they make there is simply divine, you should try it sometime... Speaking of, Margaret, how's Lavenza doing?"

"She told me that she would be watching the battle," Margaret replied. "I think she would have understood what was going on the moment she saw it. We haven't seen her since she left for her room."

"...I see."

"...I'll ask you the same question you asked of our Master. What will you do now?" Margaret asked. "Soltris and Lunalesca will turn Iwatodai into a battleground. And even though we're on his side, it's not like we can directly intervene. He's going to be extra cautious right now and I can't blame him for that."

"...If we're lucky, I don't think we'll have to do much," Elizabeth replied after taking a moment to think. Although Igor had an idea what Elizabeth was thinking, Margaret had some difficulty figuring it out.

"Care to tell me what you mean by that?" she asked.

"He has... very capable allies."

※※※※※

(...The snow's gone... I guess it's done then. That was easier than I anticipated.)

The woman who had called herself "Airi" thought to herself that the landscape she was seeing looked vastly different when there was no snow that stretched for miles upon miles. A dry, dead wasteland. She didn't know what else she was expecting from a place called the "Land of Shadows".

A land where spirits roamed free, and seeing the dead wasn't uncommon. Indeed, it was a place that was deprived of life. That was why she made contact with the sole resident of this land to begin with. To do what they needed to do, they needed the help of someone who had total control over what others perceived of them.

It was a difficult, but fulfilling, task that Airi asked of this witch. The difficulty alone would have enticed her, but after hearing the circumstances, she couldn't help but decide to lend her aid to them.

A familiar presence down the hall. Airi glanced over and saw _her_. She motioned for Airi to follow her into the room she just walked into with a satisfied expression. Immediately, Airi did so. As she stepped through the doorway, she let out an impressed hum.

(Don't think I've seen this room yet. It's just as extravagant as my own.)

It was a rather spacious room, with a queen-sized bed that sported red curtains to give her privacy when she wanted it. Not that she needed it, given her isolation, but there proved to be the odd case where guests land at her doorstep.

A large mirror that sat near the bed, as well as a oval rug carpet that laid at the foot of the bed. Other bits of furniture was dotted around the room; a tea table and a few chairs, a bookcase filled end to end with books, a worktable where the witch conducted her research, and, most curiously, an alchemy table.

Airi decided to ask her later about that. There was a far more pressing matter to discuss at that moment. The witch invited her to sit beside her on the bed.

"I'll stand," she responded to the silent invitation.

"Suit yourself," the witch said with a chuckle.

"So, we've done it?"

The witch nodded.

"Yes. His eyes are no longer watching this place. There's no reason to, considering the one he hoped to manipulate is now out of his control."

"We accomplished that task a lot faster than I thought we would. I expected it to take a lot longer."

"Well, our goal _was_ to free him as quickly as possible. We simply took the path of least resistance in that regard."

"...I won't complain about it feeling too easy. Compared to what's to come, this was a gimme."

"Exactly," the witch agreed easily, with a smile that Airi couldn't decipher. "They know where he is now. The Wolf is already on the move."

Airi knew what this meant and swore under her breath.

"Shit. Adam Lowell."

"Yes. This'll be the second time they've fought each other. Though from our dear friend's perspective, it'll be the first. And he doesn't have the strength to face Adam at this moment."

"...I know."

(It'll take a while for him to regain his memories. Slowly, bit by bit. There _is_ a way for him to gain back his strength... However⸻)

"It hasn't been delivered to him yet," the witch finished Airi's thought. The witch had managed to get a good look at what this group of people brought with them, and to say she was elated to see it with her own eyes would be an understatement.

Knowing that her thoughts were written across her face, Airi nodded.

"The Crissaegrim," the witch continued. "The sword that felled Alma, the Dragon of Ash. I didn't think I would ever see it with my own eyes, nor help the one who wielded it. The Battle of the Ashen Plains was quite the gruelling battle, wasn't it?"

"And what would you know about that, Queen Asura?" Airi countered. "You who safely watched things play out from a distance?"

"Please, there's no need to use that name any longer," the witch said, the smile still on her features. "Those who could move against you in that realm are no longer watching."

Realising what she said, Airi giggled. She had gotten so used to their roles that she blurted out that name by mistake.

"Alright, then. But I _was_ serious with my question, Witch of Dun Scaith. Tell me. What would you know about that, Scathach?"

With no more need for the deception, Scathach snapped her fingers. Her jet black hair turned to purple, and her eyes turned from golden to blood red. The black dress she wore remained, but one's impression of Scathach would be completely different if she appeared to them as she was at that moment, as opposed to the disguise she donned.

"My life was one filled with conflict and bloodshed. I've trained the greatest warriors in the Ulster cycle. I've spilled so much blood that I eventually lost the ability to call myself human and became the immortal gatekeeper of the Land of Shadows. _That's_ how I know what you have all went through, Miriam Adenauer, heir-apparent to the throne of Lunalesca."

The girl smiled at the call of her name. Finally able to rid herself of this illusion, she focused on regaining her true appearance. The deception named "Airi" serving its purpose, Miriam gained back her true self.

A woman around the same height as the boy she had set out to save. Long black hair that stretched to her lower back, blue eyes, and the white and gold dress she wore when she and her fellows made their trek to the home of the Witch of Dun Scaith, this land that laid between their realm and Earth.

"That spell you used was very effective," Miriam spoke with her real voice, finding it a little odd to her own ears at first before she adjusted. "The others almost didn't recognise me at first."

"If you can fool your own allies, then you can fool your enemy. It's a simple enough concept. Now that we've opened a clear path to the realm he's trapped in, getting the Crissaegrim to him will be a lot easier... However, there's one problem."

Miriam knew exactly what Scathach referred to and nodded.

"Yes. We have to recover those rings before the Lyne's do. They can't fall into their hands, no matter what."

"Either we have to, or that boy has to. With the power of the Crissaegrim, it may very well be doable for him... Speaking of, are you sure it's okay to let him believe what Gotou told him? Are you sure you don't want him to know about you?"

Miriam was taken aback by the question. A sad expression crossed her features as she directed her gaze towards the floor.

"...It's better this way. He'll eventually remember me, and I don't want him to think ill of me because of the lies we told him to place us on this path to begin with... Besides, I don't think I would be able to take it. If I saw him and he doesn't recognise me. If he looked straight through me, I..."

"...I understand," Scathach said with a nod, the smile fading for the first time in the entire conversation. "I'll take full responsibility for what occurred. After all, it was my suggestion that we do this in such a roundabout way, Miss Adenauer... Or will that be Mrs⸻"

"When we marry, he'll be taking _my_ name!" Miriam blurted out in response as she stood up, only realising a second too late what she said. Her hand clamped itself over her traitorous mouth as her cheeks suddenly became a rosy red.

The Witch of Dun Scaith laughed at the adorable sight. Being a woman who had lived for many years in isolation, she rarely got the chance to tease others. But this young princess provided quite the opportunity to do just that. Scathach giggled behind her hand.

"I hope I'll be invited to the wedding," she said. "I'll consider it a reward for all my hard work. I wonder who else will be invited. His family is off the table, for obvious reasons. Well, he and his cousin are still on good terms. Perhaps you'll invite his⸻"

"Okay, okay, I get the point!" Miriam yelled over her, halting her advance before the older woman could crush her defences completely. "I'll invite you if you don't say any more on the matter!"

"Consider my lips sealed."

Miriam breathed a relieved sigh as she sat back down.

"Getting back to the topic at hand," Scathach continued. "Things will go a lot smoother if we had more help."

Miriam closed her eyes and tried to recall anyone who could lend their aid in this matter.

"...There is that woman he saved a few months back. She owes him a debt and she comes from the same realm he's in right now."

"She'll stick out like bollocks on a bulldog," Scathach replied immediately. "The Lyne's will pick up on her presence as soon as she makes a move. Besides, I'm not sure she can do anything right now. Not as long as her master, Philemon, holds a leash on her."

With that idea shot down, Miriam continued.

"There's also his cousin, Sophia. She might be willing to lend her aid but it'll take a while to get a response."

"Do it. We don't have much time to waste, so anything we can do we should do as quickly as we can."

Miriam nodded as she made a mental note to send the letter as soon as she got back to her room.

(Things are progressing very quickly now. Until we get the Crissaegrim back into his hands, I doubt we'll get much rest... Speaking of.)

"We should probably inform the others about this," Miriam said. "They're probably on pins and needles about the battle."

"Ah, yes, of course. How could I forget? Should I bring Raziel here as well?"

Miriam nodded.

"Yes. He needs to hear this."

"You trust him? Even though he's an outsider?"

Miriam was forced to think on the question. She never really gave it any thought. She knew his capabilities, she knew his circumstances. There was no question that Raziel would be a valuable asset. The problem was that there was no certainty that he could be trusted. And yet, even so⸻

"...Oddly enough, I do," Miriam replied.

Scathach let the answer sink in for a moment before she gave a short nod.

"Good," she said, standing up and making her way over to the table. A glass orb rested near the left edge of the table, and after tapping it a few times, Scathach spoke clearly into it. "Could everyone please come to my room as soon as you can. Thank you."

Miriam took the chance to stand up and make a request of her own.

"Also, Anastasia," she said, "could you bring the sword from my room? Please and thank you."

The room fell silent as Miriam and Scathach awaited the arrival of those who accompanied the princess on her journey.

※※※※※

One by one, the five people who were chosen by the princess to accompany her entered the room. The first to appear was the one called "Mikazuki".

"It's done?" he asked when he entered the room. "Did he win?"

Miriam nodded.

"Yes," she replied. "He's free now."

Mikazuki smiled broadly as he yelled, "Now that's what I'm talkin' about! Can't believe we got it done that quickly."

"Relax, Johnathan," Miriam said, smiling despite herself. "We've barely begun."

The next to enter was Raziel, who acknowledged the princess with a nod but stayed silent. There wasn't any need for him to speak, so he didn't.

The next was the one who called herself "Asuka". Codenames to blend into their surroundings better, and to prevent their target from recognising them.

"I've brought the Crissaegrim as you requested, Milady," she addressed Miriam, holding out the longsword, stored in its sheath, with both hands. The upward curve of the blade gave the weapon an exotic air, having been inspired by a weapon of Middle Eastern origin. It was designed more for slashing rather than stabbing, though it was more than capable of that.

Miriam took the blade. It was the handle that constantly drew her attention. Forged using the broken handle of the weapon that was found in the boy's hand as the base, she ordered the sword's construction a few months before the Battle of the Ashen Plains. It was a gift from Miriam to the boy.

A flash of sorrow flickered in her eyes.

(To think it was only a year ago that...)

She looked up to Asuka.

"Thank you, Anastasia," she told her softly.

Anastasia nodded. As a member of the princess' royal guard, she understood more than most how the princess was feeling. She didn't speak of it, because it wasn't her place.

The second-to-last to enter was the woman who was given the codename "Murasaki". Her appearance was what changed the most during their mission. She was the one who needed the heaviest disguise during her excursion, due to the risk of the boy, or "that man", recognising her.

But, realising that there wasn't any need to hide her appearance any longer, she got changed into the clothing she wore during the trip there. A dark blue and white French maid's outfit with a white apron around her waist, and a white maid headband.

Her hair also reverted to its original colour. Instead of the black hair that the boy saw her with, it was now blonde. The only thing that didn't change was her eye colour, as it was obscured by the mask she wore. Hazel eyes which were unique to the rest of the room's more normal colours.

"I see you got changed, Isabelle," Miriam said. At the princess' comment about her looks, Isabelle nodded.

"Yes... Is he free?"

"Yes, he is."

Unable to contain her relief, Isabelle fell to her knees. Fresh tears rushed down her cheeks as she openly sobbed.

"Thank goodness!" she managed to say through her sobs. Nearly everyone there could understand and empathise with her reaction. They knew how close she and the boy were, and they knew she wasn't happy being forced to fight him, the one she swore to serve and protect.

Miriam stood up and walked over to Isabelle, wiping away the tears with her hand.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I know this has been difficult for you. The one responsible will pay for this, I promise you."

Isabelle brought her breathing back under control and replied with a soft, broken voice.

"It... It hasn't been easy for you, either... Your Highness..."

"...Just promise me that you'll tell him how you feel when we see him again, alright?"

Isabelle didn't respond with words. Unable to speak about that, she simply nodded, her cheeks slightly red. Though whether from crying or embarrassment, Miriam couldn't say.

The last to arrive was the one who remained on standby in case she was needed. Given the codename "Hitomi Izumi", her role ended up not being required. A fact which she lamented when she entered.

"Aww, I was looking forward to playing the part of the plucky childhood friend," she told the princess. One could even call her tone of voice "whiny", which made Miriam giggle.

"I'll ask the theatre group for a favour once we return home to Lunalesca," she said with a smile. After waiting for everyone to settle down, and Isabelle to calm herself, Miriam cleared her throat, calling everyone to attention.

"...We've all done well getting this far," she said. "We couldn't have done this without the contributions of each and every one of you. But our fight is just beginning. Our goal now that we're able to act freely is to get this weapon into his hands." She held out the sheathed sword for all to see. "The Crissaegrim belongs to him—to Adrian. It's our duty to see it returned to its owner. I won't let the Lyne's ambitions come to pass." She looked to every person, making eye contact with them. "Jonathan Faulkner, Raziel, Scathach, Anastasia Cruz, Isabelle Chevalier, Diana Acqua. Your tireless work for the sake of my betrothed warms my heart, and I'll be happy to have your support as we move towards our next battle."

Miriam looked around, gauging each of their reactions. They all looked determined, with the exception of Raziel, who looked towards her with an indecipherable expression. He nodded, reaffirming his willingness to continue following her for the moment.

Satisfied, Miriam looked to them with a steely gaze.

"Prepare yourselves. This won't be a easy victory."

* * *

【Author's Note】

The veil of deceit has now been lifted, and the true nature of some of the characters have now been revealed. Were you paying attention? I hope so. You may have suspected something was up the previous chapters if you noticed the... contradictions, to put it into words. I'll go into more details about them some other time.

Not helping matters was the fact that I chose the perspectives of the ones who were able to hide their intentions the best. There _is_ another reason why, but that's kinda... I won't say any more on the matter. It's not that important right now.

In any case, I felt that being more open at the end of this arc was the way to go. Especially when there's no more reason to hide or obfuscate who is on what side.

The next chapter is the start of a new arc. The "Shadow Executioner" arc. An arc where you can trust everything you see and hear, and there is nothing being hidden. Being 100% honest, here.

On an unrelated note, who here's hyped about Bloodstained? I am!

◆ _Next Time - Chapter 10: Unstable Foundation_ ◆


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